Tale as Old as Time
by wind-dancer99
Summary: A modern rendition of Dr.Quinn. Michaela, along with her boyfriend David and his friend William, have traveled to Colorado to begin their internships as doctors in various hospitals.
1. Chapter 1: Bitter Sweet and Strange

**Tale as Old as Time:**

_**A Modern Day Dr.Quinn**_

**Prologue: Tale as Old as Time**

I want to first start of by saying that I, like so many other fans, do not, unfortunately, own the rights to Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman, as it is owned by CBS, the Sullivan Company, and A&E. Secondly, this is my first fanfic, so if you don't like it, please tell me now so I don't bore anyone else with my distasteful writing.

The following is a **basic** outline of the two main characters before my story begins...

_Michaela Ann Quinn_: Born and raised in a prestigious yet hospitable home in Boston, Massachusetts, Mike, as her father calls her, has dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was a tot. After finishing high school two years early, she attended the University of Boston to get her bachelors in Medicine and just graduated from Harvard Medical School as valedictorian of her class (class of 2005). After 8 years of studying medicine in school, Michaela at the age of 24, along with her boy friend David Lewis (age: 25) and his best friend William Burke (age: 26), will begin their internships in various hospitals in Denver, Colorado...

_Byron Sully_:Not partial to his first name, so everyone just calls Byron Sully by his surname. Sully is an architect, with his specialty being in log cabins. Sully was married for two short years to a young woman by the name of Abigail Bray. Abigail along with her and Sully's baby daughter, Hannah, were killed in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver (ended up being a Hit 'n' Run). Three years after the fact, Sully continues to grieve inside himself. (Sully is now at the age of 26).

I know this whole prologue is pitiful, but I thought you might like to know what you are getting into...

I also do not own the rights to the song "Beauty and the Beast" which I am using lines from as a main title along with lines for chapter titles. This song, to my recollection, is owned by Disney.

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Chapter 1: Bittersweet and Strange**

"Oh, David! David, look! You can see it, you can see Denver!" Michaela exclaimed to the man in the seat next to hers. "And see, Denver is by no means a small city..."

David Lewis took a moment to glance away from his newspaper and gazed momentarily outside at the city before him, and then at Michaela before smiling slightly, "It is when you're used to cities like New York...", he said softly and then continued to read his copy of the Wall Street Journal.

Michaela looked over at her boyfriend, smile fading slightly from her own lips, then muttered to herself, "Well it's a good thing I'm from Boston I suppose."

The flight attendants began to make their way to their own seats in the rear and front of the cabin, to prepare for landing. David quickly put away his newspaper and closed his eyes while gripping the band of his seat belt. When he was 14 years old he had been the only one home to receive the devastating news that his 23 year old brother, Tim, and his newly-wed bride, Christine, had died in a plane crash on the way back from their honeymoon. Receiving the news was hard enough to face, but then in turn, he also had the responsibility to tell the rest of his family. The act had devastate him, and caused him to fear planes for the rest of his natural life.

William, who sat on the other side of David, acted just as excited as Michaela. Having visited Colorado many a time through out his childhood on various ski trips, Will already knew the region fairly well and was ecstatic to show his friends the country side.

The plane began to jostle as the wheels were unconcealed from underneath the plane. David's knuckles had turned white from the intense pressure he put on them to relieve his stress. Bump–one of the wheels had made contact with the runway. Bump– and again the plane bounced back up before finally gliding smoothly down onto the runway.

"We're here!" exclaimed a little boy in the back.

Michaela chuckled softly at the child's antics, then turned her attention to David, who kept his eyes closed and grip on his seat belt while the plane slowed to a halt.

"Hey David, we're here...we're home..." she whispered gently as she lay her hand over his paling ones.

Upon the impact of Michaela's skin to his, David woke from his reverie and looked into her eyes which held a world of concern for him. He relaxed his features and smiled slightly at Michaela to let her know that he was ok.

In all the traffic to get out of the plane and then out of the airport, it took over an hour to get their luggage and then find a taxi to take them to each individual's apartment. While David had rented out an apartment by himself in downtown Denver, both William and Michaela had been more adventurous and rented out apartments with more than one room farther up the mountain range. Will had contacted a friend he had met on one of his various ski trips and they had agreed on boarding together. Will ended up doing the same for Michaela when he learned a good family friend of his, Dorothy Jennings, was in need of a room mate also.

After dropping off David at his apartment complex, the taxi made its way to Will's apartment. Upon seeing it, Michaela was instantly jealous. The apartment wasn't really and apartment at all, in fact it was a medium sized log cabin, made from beautifully furnished oak.

"Oh Will, do honestly get to live here?" Michaela breathed.

"Isn't it a site? My room mate, he's an architect and he specializes in log cabins...has great business going in this area." Will commented with great admiration.

"I can see why...it's gorgeous!"

Will stepped out of the taxi, grabbing his bags, and then poked his head back into the open car window. "Why don't you come over later tonight, after you get settled...we can have dinner, relax...I'll call up David, make sure he still alive after that flight."

"Will, you know his past...he hasn't had an easy life..." Michaela chastised.

"I know, I know...so, will you be coming over later or not?" William grinned.

"Oh, I will..."

"Splendid, and would you please extend my invitation to Dorothy as well?"

"Of course, I'll see you later then."

Will nodded, then walked up to the door of his exquisite home, only to be met by a man with shoulder-length, brown, hair and a tanned form. Michaela saw the two grasp hands and give each other a good slap on the back. Something about this man intrigued and captivated Michaela. As the taxi backed up down the drive way, Michaela continued to gaze that this mysterious man. Just as they were about to turn the bend, the man looked back at Michaela. In the moment that their eyes met, Michaela felt something grip at her soul; and even with the distance between them, she was able to see all the pain and resentment that the world had lay upon him in his azure-blue eyes.

Michaela walked slowly up to the door of her tutor-style apartment complex with luggage in tow. As she reached the porch steps, she turned and glance back down the mountain side that overlooked Denver. She gazed out into the brightly lit metropolis, and then up into the black, heavenly, abyss to see only the brightness emitted from the hundreds of constellations beaming down onto her face. Even though it was a late summer night, the setting of the sun and the slightly raised elevation had led to a drop in temperature. Rotating back towards the door to her new home, Michaela knocked gently on the door face. Not two seconds later, the door sprang open revealing a petite, red-haired, woman, who was no older than 30.

"Oh, you must be Michaela, am I right?" she asked as a wide smile spread on her face.

"Yes, I am Michaela, and you must be Dorothy, I presume?" Michaela returned the smile.

"Yes, yes. Here let me get those bags for you...don't tell me Will let you come out here all by yourself?"

"Oh, I insisted I wouldn't need his help...however, has asked both of us to join him at his house for a...a welcoming party, I suppose you would call it." Michaela said, instantly seeing that she would be getting along just fine with Dorothy.

"Oh, well I suppose we'd better get you settled in a bit before heading out there."

"That sounds fine to me!" Michaela grinned as she stepped into her new home.

As the beautiful cabin came into view, Michaela felt her stomach bubble a bit. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about that long haired man had sent tingles up and down her spine. Blushing at the ridiculous feeling, Michaela hoped he would be there tonight and wondered at how Will, coming from such a conventional family, had come to meet him.

"Now we can't be prejudice, Michaela..." Michaela thought to herself.

"...and, oh, have you seen the inside... it is just to die for..."Michaela heard as Dorothy's perpetual voice came back into focus.

"I'm afraid I've only see the exterior and only through an open window of a taxi cab." Michaela explained.

"Oh well, you'll drop your jaw when you see Sully's magnificent work..."Dorothy went on.

"Whom?" Michaela question the architect's name.

"Have you heard a word I've said? I know, I know...the view is much more desirable than anything you are used to in Boston...well, Sully is Will's room mate, he actually built their cabin with his own two hands..."Dorothy retold.

"He doesn't happen to have...oh, about shoulder length hair..." Michaela asked casually.

"Yep, that's him...wait, did Will not even introduce him to you?" Dorothy said with exasperation.

"Oh I only saw him as the cab was pulling out...I was just curious to know who he was...so he skis a lot I presume..."Michaela questioned as Dorothy's jeep came to a stop in front of the cabin.

"Sully...ski... oh yes, yes, and hikes and all sorts of things... in fact he works with the Search and Rescue Patrol in the winter, when he can't build...and he's quite the naturalist...I believe he had minored in biology...that is, before...well, anyways, no one really knows where he learned all he knows about survival in the wild...but if I was ever to go on a camping trip.. It would be Sully who I'd bring along." Dorothy declared as they made their way from the car to the front door.

Michaela wanted to question what had happened before that had made him drop out of college. But she decide it really wasn't her business, and she would probably find out sooner or later. Upon reaching it Dorothy knocked quickly on the door and stepped inside without waiting for a reply.

"Dorothy! Michaela! So good you were able to make it." Will said while walking briskly over to them and giving Dorothy a friendly hug. "Oh, Dorothy, it is good to see you again!"

"And the same to you Will...looks like all is well" Dorothy smiled after pulling out of the hug.

Michaela was standing in awe next to them, while glancing about the room. It appeared that each log had been carefully carved by hand into a perfect rounded shape and enate craftsmanship had created the elaborate leaf design on the mantel of the fire place. The entire house was like a work of art.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" Will commented upon seeing the look on Michaela's face. "And to think that this is one of the homes he considers his rejects...I wish I was as amazing at what I do as Sully and you are..."

"Thank you Will, but I don't know if my work can compare to this..." Michaela sighed as she glanced around again.

"Of course it can compare..." David said while getting up from the leather couch in the living room and joining the others at the entry way. Upon arriving at the group, David attempted to kiss Michaela on the lips, but she turned her head slightly and he had to make due with kissing her on the cheek.

Dorothy, who had watched the entire situation fairly closely, afterward stood slightly confused at the reaction. But when Will made no signs of noticing it, she simply shrugged it off.

"Where is the master architect anyways?" Dorothy asked Will.

Will looked at her quickly before gazing down, "He said he had someone he had to see... he said he probably wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning." Will stated with a shrug and a small smile.

Michaela didn't pick up on the tension that followed between Will and Dorothy and asked before she could stop herself, "Does he have a girlfriend or something?" Michaela couldn't believe she had just asked such a question, but nothing had prepared her for the reaction she got from Will and Dorothy.

Upon hearing Michaela's question, Will burst out in laughter and looked as if he would be rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter in a few minutes. Dorothy's face went pale for a moment, and then started at Will.

"William, that is not funny at all! Just think if Sully had been here when she said that!"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking of right now." Will said as he began to control his boisterous laughter.

"Well, the reaction that would most likely come would be anything but funny! Had he heard that...well...we never may have seen him again...it took ages for him to even go back to work, how do you think he would handle a remark like that! Don't worry Michaela; it's not your fault in the least bit! _Somebody_ shouldn't have left her out in the dark!" Dorothy said while rounding on William.

"Oh Dorothy I just hadn't gotten around to it yet...well, we might as well tell you now...lets go over in the living room." Will suggested.

As everyone made it over to the living room and made themselves comfortable on the cozy couch or armchairs seated around the elegant fireplace, Michaela grew more and more interested in the mysterious life of Sully. She knew from when she made eye-contact with him, that he had suffered something awful. But by the way Dorothy and Will had acted, she knew it was truly something devastating.

"Well, the first thing you should know about Sully, it that he lost both of his parents at the age of 10. For a long time all he had was his older brother Chris...but Chris took off a few years ago... haven't heard from or seen him since then." Dorothy began solemnly.

"Then, about five years ago, Sully married his high school sweetheart, Abigail Bray...the next two years had their ups and downs, but I don't think Sully had ever been closer to living a happy life. Then, about three years ago, during the winter, Sully had volunteered to lead a Search and Rescue mission through Pikes Peak National Park to find some poor lost girl. While he was out with the rescue group, his wife, Abigail, and his baby daughter, Hannah, went the grocery store to get some milk and other things they needed. The roads were really slick to begin with...and then...as they were driving, some lunatic drunk driver nearly crashed into their car...Abigail swerved, missing the car, but losing control of the vehicle. Their car went off the road and rolled down a hill before landing at the bank of the Colorado River...both Abigail and Hannah died instantly...the drunk got away...it was a 'Hit and Run' case...When Sully came home...well, he just wont ever be the same I guess..." William finished, swallowing his drink slowly.

"That's awful...that's...that's...unimaginable..." Michaela quaked. Then, hoping that something good may have come from Sully's actions, she asked, "What about the girl...the one Sully was searching for? What became of her?"

"They found her...but it was too late...she'd died of hypothermia long before they had gotten to her...it appeared that the poor girl was raped...her clothes were torn up real bad...it must have been an awful site to see...then to go home, only to discover..." Dorothy drifted off.

"Actually, from your description, the girl may not have been raped at all..." Michaela began.

"Uh oh, here comes the medical professor..." Will teased.

"Studies have shown that in many cases of profound or severe hypothermia, after the victim becomes delusional from the drop in body temperature, they may hallucinate that they are on fire or under some extreme heat source. Consequently, they may try ripping off their clothes to cool down, causing them to loose the little body heat they may have left, thus, they fall unconscious...but that really doesn't matter...it's just so awful, everything that happened..." Michaela wondered at how he was able to keep on living after those incidents.

"Well don't think it was easy for him to pull through...I tried to talk to him after it first happened...he sort of disappeared for a while, we were afraid he had committed suicide somewhere...then one day he showed up again...no one questioned him in the slightest...we were all just happy he had come back." Dorothy explained.

"Does anyone know where he went?" David asked curiously.

William and Dorothy exchanged looks before Will answered, "Yeah, but I couldn't explain it to you...I don't really understand what happened or why he did it..."

"What...?" Michaela began.

"Maybe some day you can ask him...maybe you can make sense of it, you got good grades in psychology, right?" William interrupted.

"Yes...but..." Michaela began again

"Speaking of you and grades...why don't you tell me a little more about yourself Michaela...you too David?" Dorothy said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Well..." Then for the next two hours, Michaela talked about her least favorite subject...herself. It wasn't that she wasn't proud of her various accomplishments, she just wasn't one to boast or really even talk about herself. After a home cooked meal, made by Dorothy, everyone decided to call it a night and head on home.

On her way out the door, David pulled Michaela aside to the porch, telling Dorothy that she would be there in a moment. As Dorothy headed for her car, David kissed Michaela firmly on the lips. This time Michaela didn't turn her head, but as David tried to deepen the kiss, Michaela backed away, and turned around while saying "Good night...call me later if you want..." But Michaela and David knew that there would be no exchanged phone calls that night...both knew it was just an excuse...to get away.

As Michaela got into Dorothy's car and drove off to her apartment David cursed under his breath and headed back inside to bid farewell to Will before heading home.

What nobody noticed, was the tall, dark, figure that had been standing near the Quaking Aspen trees, watching the entire encounter between Michaela and David.


	2. Chapter 2: Ever Just as Sure

**Chapter 2: Ever Just as Sure**

Michaela placed the last picture frame on the desk of her bureau, and looked at it lovingly. The picture was one of her beloved father, who had been the inspiration for her dream to become a doctor. It hadn't been two months since her father, Dr. Joseph Quinn, had passed away during a heart attack. Michaela had been taking her final exam when it happened, and she still blamed herself for not being there with him...not being there to perhaps prevent his death.

Michaela glanced around at her new room, everything finally put into its proper place, except for the empty cardboard boxes that had been shipped from Boston to her earlier that week. Sun beams bled through the curtains demonstrating the Tyndall effect, by reflecting off of the small dust particles suspended in the air.. Everything seemed right in the world, for the first time since her father's death. Everything was going to be ok.

Suddenly Michaela was awakened from her reverie by Dorothy's gentle voice, as she came sauntering into the room. "Well it seems you've got everything done in here, why don't we go out to lunch and celebrate...you need to get out of the house anyways..." Dorothy suggested.

"Well I was planning on reading a few of my new medical journals...so I'm not behind..."Michaela began.

"Michaela, you can do that later tonight...now come on...I'm not taking no for an answer...besides there is this lovely little café right near the hospital that I think you will just love..." Dorothy insisted.

"Well, since I don't have a choice..."

"Good! Now come on!" Dorothy said while retreating to her own room to grab her coat and meeting Michaela in the living/dining area before starting out the door to her jeep.

"I'll just have the soup and salad, thank you." Michaela requested to the waiter.

"Oh, Michaela you just have to try Grace's fried chicken...home-cooked and seasoned just right...it's truly delicious!" Dorothy insisted.

"Maybe some other time; honestly I'm not all that hungry." Michaela said while looking at her bare table place.

"Well, I'll have the Fried Chicken Special, and a glass of water as well, thank you." Dorothy told the waiter. Then Dorothy waited until the you lady taking their order had departed for the kitchen, to ask Michaela, "Is everything ok, Michaela? You seem sort of out of sorts..."

"Oh, everything is fine...really, I normally am too busy working at the hospital or with my studies to eat any lunch." Michaela explained.

"Oh, I see...well, may I ask you a question...you don't have to answer if you don't want to...just friend to friend?" Dorothy asked sincerely.

"Of course, what is it that you want to know?"

"I know you and David are a couple and everything...", Dorothy paused as she immediately noticed that Michaela had grown uncomfortable at the mere subject, before continuing, "...and I was just wondering...I guess...I just noticed that...you two...seemed a little bit...off..." Michaela inhaled deeply, causing Dorothy to add, "Not that it is any of my business...I just thought...just being a friend and all...you may need to talk to someone...I'll always be here to listen Michaela, I promise you that." Dorothy encouraged her friend.

Michaela looked from her place mat, up into Dorothy's eyes that were genuinely full of kindness. "Well...David and I...we're really so much alike in so many ways..." Michaela began.

"Michaela, if you are referring to you jobs, I can guarantee you that there are thousands of doctors..." Dorothy questioned.

"Oh no, no...we have other things in common...and we've both had our tragedies in our lives...we were both there for each other, and I know I own so much to him... for helping me through those times..." Michaela recalled, as pictures of her recent past flashed into her mind.

Dorothy watched Michaela, as she collected her thoughts and memories. What she didn't understand was, if they truly had helped each other through so much, why then, did Michaela always seem so tense and stiff around him. Dorothy also questioned slightly if Michaela, as she said, felt like she 'owed him' something.

"Sounds like you should be really close." Dorothy hinted, waiting for Michaela's reaction to her carefully picked words.

Michaela looked up at Dorothy, puzzled by her comment. "That's just it, we are incredibly close...we're there for each other through thick and thin..."

"Michaela, I don't think you get my point...I've watched you with him over the past two weeks...you always seem tense or uncomfortable around him..." Dorothy paused as a slight blush spread over Michaela's cheeks. "Being there for one another...although that is essential in your relationship...you sound like David is really just a good friend to you..."

"What...no...I..." Michaela stuttered, trying to resist the small realization that was coming over her.

"Michaela, do you love him?" Dorothy decided to push a little more.

But a little more, was too much for Michaela at the moment. "Excuse me! But where do you get the right to question whether I love someone or not? You've known me little more than two weeks...and...and..." Michaela said vigorously while standing up and reaching for her purse.

"No Michaela, I didn't mean it that way...where are you going?" Dorothy said upset with herself for going too far.

"I really need to get home...I have some reading that I must finish before my first day at work tomorrow...would you cancel my order, please...if it's too late, then here's some money... just have them box it up and would you bring it home with you...I really must be going..." Michaela said while handing Dorothy some cash and then turned to walk out the door of the café.

"How are you planning to get home?" Dorothy called after her.

"I'll call a taxi..." and with that Michaela had disappeared around the corner.

Dorothy crossed her arms and sulked back into her chair at the table, as a young, black, woman came out of the back kitchen carrying food in both arms.

"I thought it was your voice I heard." said the woman with a slightly southern accent. "Something wrong, Dorothy?"

"Oh, hello Grace...nothing's wrong with me...but my new room mate...Michaela...I think she's confused about love..."Dorothy explained.

"Oh aren't we all though...I mean, they say that love is a kind of delirium that only the lucky and slightly crazy experience." Grace said with a laugh.

"I suppose..." Dorothy wandered off in thought. "Grace, would you mind boxing up that salad...it seems my lunch partner has walked out on me..."

"Sure...enjoy your meal I'll be right back" Grace nodded while heading back towards the swinging door that she had come through originally.

Dorothy was left by her self again, puzzling over how she should go about apologizing to Michaela for being so forward, and also trying to make sense of Michaela's situation.

Michaela walked briskly to the street corner, pausing to get her cell phone out. Thoughts and emotions were swarming in her head as she stared blankly at the LCD screen of her cell phone. Realizing that she didn't know any number for a taxi to pick her up, and with no taxi cabs in site, Michaela called William to come and pick her up. After a quick exchange of location and an agreement of where to meet, Michaela sat on a bench near the corner and waited for William to come.

As Michaela sat, her heart raced with anger, not necessarily at Dorothy, but more at herself, for even considering that Dorothy may have had a point. As time progressed, Michaela doubted Dorothy's earlier questioning of her love more and more... but then came the question, "Why didn't I call David to pick me up? He is closer, and it may have been easier for him to get to me...do I feel that uncomfortable near him, that someone else would notice so quickly..." Michaela thought to herself, but her inter-arguments came to a halt as William's new car pulled into view.

"Need a lift?" Will called about to her.

Michaela smiled while opening the door of the car. "Why thank you stranger...and nice car by the way."

"Why thank you...I picked it up this morning, it's a Saab...really well made, at least I think anyways."

"Made by rocket scientists, I believe...it suits you...now can we use this fire-powered vehicle to get me home, or is it just for show?" Michaela teased.

"Well, for most it's just for show...but I suppose now that you're here..." William said while starting down the road. "So, you ready for first day of internship tomorrow?"

"Well, I need to go through a few new medical research papers...other than that...I think I'm ready..." Michaela sighed, knowing that a good nights sleep and a big meal was really what she was going to need to survive the first of many 36-hour shifts.

"Well don't stay up too late...I know you'll do just fine though...you work your best under pressure it seems." Will commented.

"I suppose it makes me focus that much more on the task at hand...William...can I ask you something?" Michaela hesitated slightly.

"Sure, shoot." Will answered.

Michaela took a deep breath before continuing, "What do you think about...or of , I should say...do you...have you noticed anything wrong between David and I, lately...or really ever."

William half glanced at Michaela before answering, "No...is there something going on...anything wrong?"

"No, no...just something, someone said earlier...I guess I was worried...I didn't think there was anything wrong, but I was just curious for your opinion, that's all." Michaela said with a sigh of relief. If anything was that noticeable, William would be the first to say something. It wasn't that he truly wanted Michaela and David to split up...it just was that William had had a crush on Michaela since their first meeting ten years ago. And, although Michaela had turned him down the first time, he never really seemed to give up hope in the possibility that Michaela would someday fall for him.

The rest of the ride home was relatively quiet, as Michaela tried to put all of Dorothy's comments out of her mind. Upon arriving at her apartment she thanked William and hurried up to the door. It seemed that Dorothy was not home yet, which was a bit of a relief to Michaela, since really didn't want to get back into their previous discussion ever again.

Quickly, Michaela heated herself up some leftovers from last night's delectable dinner, made by Dorothy once again. Seeing as cooking was not one of Michaela's proud accomplishments, heating up leftovers was about as good as it was going to get...not that she could complain, after 8 years of vigorous schooling, Michaela had grown very used to a diet of leftovers, carry out, or occasionally raw fruits and vegetables when she was able to get to one of the local fresh fruit markets near the docks.

After heating up her food, luckily with out burning it, Michaela retreated to her room, where she sat at her desk and reviewed one of her medical documents while eating her lunch/ dinner. Her problem now was concentrating, not because of the food, but because the various comments that Dorothy had said continued to flash through her mind, causing her head to be too full of noise and chatter to concentrate.

"How can I even question my love...I know it...I feel it...or at least I think that's what I feel...no, no I know that's what I feel...I just may have a hard time expressing it...that's it...I'm just not used to these relationships..." Michaela reasoned, looking back down at the sentence she had been having to reread for the tenth time. "...At least, I hope that's why..."


	3. Chapter 3: Barely Even Friends

**Chapter 3: Barely Even Friends**

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Michaela's alarm sounded at 5:00 am.

Michaela had fallen asleep at 7:30 the night before, hoping that some extra sleep would help her in the day to come. Unfortunately, Michaela's sleep had been interrupted by confusing dreams involving David, and, to her utter surprise, Sully. Yet, while most would sulk in bed for five extra minutes, Michaela jumped out of bed ready to start a day full of what she did best.

After a quick shower and throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt (since she would be changing into sterilized scrubs at the hospital), Michaela grabbed an apple and breakfast bar she had set out for herself last night, and headed out the door as quietly as possible. Once she was outside, she called William, who had offered to give her rides to the hospital when they had correlating shifts, on her cell.

"Yes, Michaela I am on my way, but I don't know if I'll be quite as awake as you are...I'll see you in ten minutes." William mumbled into the phone before giving Michaela even a chance to present herself.

Michaela smiled to herself and looked out at the view before her. With dawn rapidly approaching, the sky had turned from dusk-indigo into a deep shade of periwinkle-blue; and the stars that grazed the everlasting sky, were slowly disappearing from view. To the far east, the sky appeared a misty orangish-rose; and a sliver of light could be seen just on the horizon, as the sun began to peek up, welcoming a new day. William's car suddenly appeared from around the bend and came to a halt in front of Michaela, as she made her way into the car.

"Hello." William said sleepily as she fastened her seat belt.

"Good morning, Will." Michaela said brightly.

That was the extent of their conversation for the rest of the drive to Saint Joseph's Hospital. William was much too tired to concentrate on anything besides driving and Michaela was brimming with excitement and anxiousness; enough to make her unable to string words together in a fashion that would make sense. So they sat in silence, anticipating the upcoming day.

When the hospital came into view, Michaela's stomach did a back-flip, as she began to question her skills and potentials as a doctor. "What if I forget something, and make a fool out of myself...what if they ask me something about neurological problems...we didn't work on that subject quite as much in med-school, unless that was your specialty...oh dear... maybe I should have taken more classes on it..." Michaela paled, suddenly dreading her forthcoming shift.

William looked over at Michaela after he parked his car, and smiled upon seeing her nervous disposition. "Of all the people, Michaela, you are the one who needs to worry the least about the up coming day...and remember, David and I will be with you too..."

Michaela smiled slightly and stepped out of the car, before heading off to the awaiting doors of the hospital.

The next hours of her life were destined to be the most vigorous, nerve-raking, and exhausting hours of her life. After being shuttled into different groups and had a designated superior doctor assigned to them, all the new interns changed into their scrubs and headed to their assigned "base-rooms" where they would receive additional instructions. Michaela and David had ended up in the same group together, yet they knew it really didn't matter, as this was not the time to be socializing. However, it was a comfort to know that there would be a friend, a really good friend, in the crowd of competitors.

Upon arriving at her assigned room, Michaela knocked, from her routine etiquette, before proceeding into the room to find a tall, gray haired gentleman, dressed in doctors' attire, waiting for her and the rest of the interns.

"Before you enter...I wonder if you could tell me the full range of symptoms that are connected to Mononucleosis?" the Doctor asked sternly.

"Of course sir, the symptoms of mononucleosis include long-term flu like symptoms, a low-grade fever; normally around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, also long term tiredness, even after obtaining ample quantities of sleep and rest, and the most dangerous symptom is the enlargement of the spleen." Michaela concluded.

"And why is an enlarged spleen considered dangerous?" the man quizzed.

"An enlargement spleen could lead to the rupture of the spleen, and, as the spleen in a blood organ, the patient would have massive internal bleeding and die." Michaela explained as other interns entered the room silently.

The superior doctor looked Michaela in the eye for a few moments, and Michaela didn't break the connection, knowing he meant to unnerve her, or cause her to second guess her explanation.

"What is your name, Miss?" the man questioned.

"Michaela Quinn" Michaela answered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Quinn here, is the first intern I've had who answered my question correctly, without hesitation, or breaking eye contact. And eye contact is essential, especially when explaining to the families of the patients the diagnosis of their beloved member. My name is Dr. Bernard and I am your supervising doctor. As interns, half of you will drop out by Christmas, and less than a forth of you will make it through your internship and residency to become doctors...you've made it through medical school, the next four years...that's when the real work begins...first thing you should know is if a doctor asks you for something, you'd better get it to them! Your jobs for the next couple months will not be...lets call it, amusing...if you feel more like servants than doctors, welcome to internship...only the most talented and select will get the chance to move on to higher positions...after all, this is the real world, these are real patients, not mammals and amphibians, already dead for the use of your education...if you're not afraid, you should be...but if you let your fear get in the way, then you'd better leave now...fear is no excuse...now, lets get to business." he paused and looked at his clipboard, and the room was dead silent, as the interns digested his unencouraging words. "Quinn...since you answered your question on mononucleosis so well...lets see...ah yes here it is...a boy came in yesterday with an enlarged spleen due to a severe case on mono...they operated on him earlier this morning...and it looks like you get the honorable duty of sterilizing the instruments used in the operation."

Michaela's face remained unchanged, while some of the other interns smiled a bit. She knew from meeting interns in the hospital her father worked at back in Boston, that swab jobs were usually given to the interns.

"Oh, if you think that's humorous, you should hear what you will be working on...Mr...Dravakis, I believe?" Dr. Bernard said sternly, then turning back to Michaela, "Why are you still standing here Quinn?"

"I'm afraid you haven't given me a room number to go to sir." Michaela said without flinching.

"Oh, room 118; round the corner on the left...report back here when you're finished."

Michaela nodded and turned on her heal to exit the room. After closing the door behind her, she paused and smiled while letting out a breath of relief. Her knees kept buckling every time Dr. Bernard looked at her, and, had in not been for the operating table which she was leaning up against, Michaela was sure she would have collapsed on the ground. She made her way to the room Dr. Bernard described, and began the tedious work of sterilizing each delicate instrument in the dark room used for storing instruments and damask sheets.

After finishing her task, she left the room and returned to her base room for further instruction. Upon entering, she found about five or six other interns in her group standing talking quietly as they waiting for Dr. Bernard's return. David, was one of the interns, however he was not socializing; instead he was leaning against the wall, apparently deep in thought. Michaela made her way across the room and joined him against the wall.

"So what was your first duty as an intern?" Michaela asked brightly.

David looked up, chuckling softly, "Well, my half of the group got the distinct pleasure of cleaning out over 300 vomit bowls..." Michaela grimaced. "...then one of the interns, Casey, I believe, ended up throwing up herself onto a stack of cleaned bowls, so we had to clean those up again...I think Bernard is with her right now...don't think she's having too fine of a day today..." David smiled at Michaela and she smiled back. "...But you seem to have at least gotten off on the right foot...you did well earlier..." he complimented, while reaching up to rub her shoulder. "...But I'm just curious...were your knees buckling...not that you could see it from Doc's point of view... but you looked real tense in your knees..."

"You know me all too well..." Michaela smiled and nodded. "Yes, my knees were..." but she didn't get to finish her sentence, because once Dr. Bernard entered the room, silence deafened the room.

The rest of the morning was spent doing various, undesirable duties through out the hospital. No one felt exceptionally hungry at lunch, even though none had eaten anything since at least 6:00 that morning. But all managed to nibble at something, knowing full well that they were going to be here until 7:00 pm the following night...the best thing they could do was to keep up their energy and momentum by eating at least a small something. Then it back at the hard labor. The afternoon was no better than the morning, as the entire group then had to sterilize the human waste tubs for the better part of three hours. All the while they were unexpectedly quizzed on random medical facts by Dr. Bernard, keeping them on their toes at all times.

After finishing the tubs, Dr. Bernard stood at the front of the room gathering everyone's attention. "This diagnosis is for anyone... A young man just came in, symptoms included fever, slight dizziness, and stomach ache accompanied with vomiting...the obvious answer is obviously influenza, however, this does not seem to be the case...any ideas?

David raised his hand along with some others in the group. "Yes, Lewis, what is your opinion?"

"Is it possible that he may have received a head injury and is suffering from a concussion?"

"Of course that is possible, and that is a good thing to look for, however, what would you say if I told you that this man was from Milwaukee?" Dr. Bernard questioned.

All of the hands that were once raised fell back, and Michaela's hand flew in the opposite direction.

"Yes, Quinn, what have you to say?"

"Cryptosporidium intake." Michaela suggested.

"Explain please." Dr. Bernard ensued.

"A few years ago, the parasite Cryptosporidium was found in Milwaukee's tap water, as it can not be killed with the usual chlorine treatments, and since, at the time, little was known about the parasite, nothing was placed in the water to detect such organisms.. Therefore, many Milwaukee civilians consumed the parasite, which ultimately settled in their intestines and caused flu like symptoms in thousands of people. In many cases of children or other people with diseases that weakened the immune system, such as AIDS and HIV, the victims died from the parasite. They have taken precautions to stop the parasite from entering the tap water, however the parasites have been known to get through every once and a while, even with precautions." Michaela explained.

"Very good, it seems you've kept up with your research outside of med-school as well." Dr. Bernard complimented.

Michaela smiled slightly and nodded, "Yes sir, to the best of my abilities."

"Well, then you'll understand the treatment for a case of cryptosporidium?" Dr. Bernard asked.

"Yes sir, you must..." Michaela began.

"No, no...you needn't explain it...your next assignment Dr.Quinn is to look in upon and take care of our Milwaukee patient. Don't treat him, just wait on him, and if anything goes wrong you page for a doctor immediately." Dr. Bernard said while handing Michaela a page. "The room is 236... I'll be checking up on you at midnight."

"Yes sir, thank you." Michaela said, doing her best to control herself from jumping up and down with excitement. She, once again, turned on her heal and walked out the door and towards her assigned room.

Michaela only wished she had been a little more prepared for he first patient. For, never had she met such an obnoxious, bull-headed, full-of-himself man. An actor, in films Michaela had never heard of, the man had pictures of himself all over his room and he made Michaela (and anyone else who entered the room for that matter) watch scenes of the movies that he was in. When not watching his movies, he would go on endlessly about how "he shouldn't be there", and how "he should be filming right now in his next movie". Michaela found it a miracle that any director could stand the man enough to put him in any movie. Luckily, Michaela had learned how to block out his annoying monologues from her previous experiences with her stubborn mother.

The other nurses on that floor felt for Michaela, and even brought her some food and coffee as the late night hours came around. Michaela was grateful when the patient had finally drifted off to sleep and his perpetual chatter deceased. However, the bare silence and dimmed-lighting of the room, made Michaela more drowsy and she looked forward to when she would be relieved from her duties and given her two hour break. But when midnight came and went, Michaela became more and more exhausted, as her eyelids slowly began to droop. It wasn't until two in the morning before she felt Dr. Bernard's hand on her shoulder.

She hadn't fallen asleep, but had gone into more of a daze, and was only half coherent of what was going on around her. Dr. Bernard gestured her to move outside the room with him, and she did so quietly.

"Have you been here this entire time?" He asked with a bit of an edge in his voice.

"Yes sir." Michaela answered.

"Dr. Williams never came to relieve you?" He pondered.

"No sir, no one came." Michaela explained.

"He must of gotten tied up in surgery. Well, in that case, go and take your two hour break, the other interns have already had theirs...actually you can take three hours... then a thirty minute break for breakfast...be back in the base room by a quarter-til six."

"Thank you sir." Michaela said as she walked to the room designated as the "interns lounge" for a well deserved three hour nap."

The next twelve hours went by in a blur. Too tired from the long hours, Michaela worked like an automaton, grateful for her muscle memory. Other wise she may never have been able to finish the various tasks that were given to her. At 6:30 pm all the new interns were directed to the lobby area of the hospital. All the superior doctors stood at the front of the room and slowly got the group's attention.

"Congratulations...you've made it through your first 36 hour shift...now we do need some more help, is anyone willing to stay a few more hours?" A woman with rich, black, hair questioned the group.

To Michaela's surprise, about five people actually raised their hands , to volunteer. Laughing slightly at the quiz question, Michaela shouted out, "I believe it's against health regulations to keep interns more than 36 hours ma'am."

The woman eyed Michaela as the rest of the crowd turned to look at her. Dr. Bernard grinned at whispered something to his colleague. Then the woman smiled and nodded while saying, "Your fellow intern is correct...now that we know who the suck ups are, we'd like to wish you a good weekend and you are dismissed until Monday morning, go get some sleep!"

With that, the interns started for their lockers to change and go home. Will spread the news that there was going to be a "Survival Party" at his home tonight. Much to Michaela's surprise, everyone seemed to be interested in coming, instead of going home and sleeping.

"Well, we all need a little bit of a celebration...you can sleep later." Will reasoned to Michaela as they walked to his car.

"Yes...I suppose..." Michaela said half awake.

William, on the other hand, seemed more energetic now than any other time over the past 36 hours. "I called Sully yesterday, during my dinner break, to explain to him about it...he was fine with it, understood that we all needed some relaxing." William said as started driving off towards his cabin.

"Oh, is Sully going to be there to night...I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet." Michaela became suddenly interested in the entire party.

"Yeah, he said he'd stick around for a little while...he really isn't very social...never was actually...but I think he'd stay for a while..." William presumed.

Michaela was confused by the captivation this man held on her. She knew it had something to do with the sensation that traveled through her gut when he had made that split-second eye contact with her. But she still didn't know why that had happened, and it intrigued her to death.

Once arriving at Will's cabin, both Michaela and Will began to prepare for the party, first by making pitchers of coffee and espressos. Shortly after, David and none other than Sully, walked in carrying at least twenty cups of steaming coffee from the local coffee shop.

"Figured you might be needing some more..." Sully said light-heartedly.

"Thanks Sully...hey, I don't think you have met Michaela yet...Michaela, Sully...Sully, Michaela, or Mike as we all tend to call her...Mike is rooming with Dorothy up at their apartment down the road..." William introduced the pair while setting out the cups of coffee on the counter and grabbing some bags of chips Sully had also picked up for the party.

Michaela smiled slightly, and extended her hand for Sully to shake it. Sully looked up at Michaela and went to grasp her hand. However, upon coming into contact with it, a static shock passed between them, jolting Michaela a little.

"Sorry, I must of rubbed my feet a little too hard on the rug..." Sully said smiling.

Michaela shook her head, also smiling and replied, "No harm done". The pair of them continued to stand awkwardly in the kitchen until William said over his shoulder, while filling bowls with the chips, "Sully, Mike was absolutely flabbergasted by your work on the place..."

"Oh, yes, it's absolutely stunning Sully...your craftsmanship is truly remarkable..." Michaela complimented.

"Oh, well thanks...I enjoyed doing it..." Sully shrugged. A knock was heard at the door and Sully removed himself from the group to answer it. Soon interns were pouring into the cabin and William was turning up music and the T.V. in the living room. Michaela and David sat on the stools in the kitchen, pouring out drinks to the guest. Even after two shots of espresso, Michaela still had to lay her head on David's shoulder to keep herself from falling off the chair. As the crowd of socializing interns made their way into the living room, Michaela left David to go to the bathroom and splash some water on tired face. Sully had disappeared after the first guests arrived, so she was unable to have any further conversation with him.

As she made her way back to the kitchen she passed groups of interns, some laughing and making fun of their superior doctors, others lay, passed out on the couch or chairs, drunk from lack of sleep. When she arrived back in the kitchen, she found David, sitting with his head resting on the palm of his hand, in a deep sleep. Deciding that he could use the rest, Michaela left him to sleep. The music engulfed Michaela, as she had never been one for dances or parties when she was younger. So, when she found no one to talk to, she decided she would walk home.

After leaving a note for David and William to find, Michaela left the party-run house and started out the door. Michaela folded her arms around herself, to protect herself from the slight, brisk, wind that bit at her bare arms. Then, as she walked down the dirt drive-way, something near the trees caught her eye. Sitting on a log, was a man, who was simply staring up into the white-barked trees. It took a second glance for her to realize that it was Sully. Deciding that now was as good of time as any, she walked over to the spot where he sat.

Sully stared at the heart-shaped leaves, as they shimmered with the wind. Abigail had loved Aspen trees...especially in the fall, with their bright-golden leaves, fluttering every-which-way...somehow, being around these trees made Sully feel closer to Abigail. And lately, he'd been feeling so odd, that he'd taken to sitting by these trees every day. The strange feeling was one he couldn't explain to anyone...he continued to hurt inside from the tragedies he'd suffered, yet somehow, a weight that had been oppressing his attitude towards life, seemed to be being lifted off his tired shoulders.

As he continued to stare in silence at the trees, his reverie was broken by the snapping of a twig behind him. Turning around quickly, he found that he was not alone.

Michaela hadn't meant to disturb him while he was in such deep thought, but when she stepped onto a twig, cracking it in half, she knew that there was no turning back now.

"How long have you been there?" Sully questioned.

"I only just walked up...I didn't mean to disturb you...once I realized...I tried to go..."Michaela tried and failed miserably at excusing herself; but luckily, Sully smiled at her and nodded.

"It's ok...no harm done" He repeated her earlier words.

"Do come to this spot often?" Michaela asked unknowingly. When Sully merely shrugged she tried at conversation again, "I do love Aspen trees...from the Poplar family I believe...People say they look like they are trembling...but to me, I think they look like they are applauding...I sound ridiculous, I know..."

Sully thanked the darkening sky, for if they were in the broad-light of day, he knew Michaela would have noticed how pale his face became as she talked about the trees. He felt silly and ashamed...so many people commented on how they loved those trees, and Sully never thought different of it...yet when Michaela described them, Sully's heart seemed to arch and he felt as if Michaela couldn't enjoy the same things as Abigail had...as if he had to keep their personalities separate...he was confusing himself as he tried to reason with his feelings.

Sully's silence disturbed Michaela, and even upset her slightly. Michaela felt awful about the tragedies that Sully had endured during his life, and she wanted desperately to help him, even though she didn't really know him at all...something deep with in her felt as if she needed to help him, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to feel well either...but if he wouldn't even talk to her about something as simple as trees, there would be no hope in trying to help him through his complicated problems.

"Is something wrong Sully? Would you like me to leave...I was on my way home anyway..." Michaela offered.

Sully stopped her immediately, "No, no I'm just...just", he paused looking for a legitimate excuse...if he said he didn't feel well, he knew she would try to examine his false condition, and he couldn't say he was just tired, after what she had just been through... "I'm just not a big talker I suppose..." Sully said honestly.

Michaela sighed slightly, understanding. "Yes, I know a little bit of what you mean...mind you I most certainly am a talker...I just really am not one for socials, or parties..." Michaela said while nodding at the still loud party.

Sully chuckled and relaxed slightly, "William surprised me when he told me his plans...I was even more surprised when people actually came."

"Yes, Will is a horse of a different color, so to speak...He has to be the most intelligent, goof-ball I have ever met...He almost ranges on being a slacker...yet he's so quick witted and can write up a speech or essay that will blow your mind away...as far as I know, his speeches have been what had kept him from getting into too much trouble..." Michaela laughed.

"I can certainly imagine that...so David is your boyfriend right?" Sully said without much thought in mind.

It certainly did sound like such an awful thing when Sully said it, Michaela thought to her self, not in the least bit understanding why that was so. "Yes, yes he is..." Michaela answered tentatively.

"It must have been nice...being able to travel to a new place with a few people you already knew...not quite as lonely I would guess..."

"Yes, it was nice...mind you, it took a lot of persuading on my part to get David out here." Michaela commented.

"Oh? Why's that?" Sully looked at her frowning slightly.

"He wasn't very interested...I think he's more comfortable in the big cities...like New York, where he grew up...I'm afraid he may move back east at the end of our first six months here..." Michaela stared down at her feet, not wanting Sully to see the disappointment that may have been evident in her eyes.

Then, much to the surprise of both Sully and Michaela, Sully asked, "Will, you be staying if he goes?"

Michaela blessed the dark surroundings which hid her blush as she answered, "I'm not sure...I feel that I already have grown to love the west...the mountains, the sweet, fresh, air...I suppose I'd have to compare what each place has to offer me..."

Sully nodded, and became mute again...he still didn't know why he had asked such a bold question, but Michaela didn't seem to mind too much...although he could somehow sense her blushing in the darkness.

"Well, it's getting late; I'd better get home..." Michaela said as she ambled back towards the road.

"Would you like a lift?" Sully offered...once again surprising himself slightly.

"No thanks...I think I can use a good walk...get some more of this fresh air..." Michaela said smiling before she turned around and walked down the road to her humble apartment.

Sully gazed after Michaela, long after she had gone out of site. A feeling of renewal had washed over him as he talked to her...ever since Abigail had died, Sully hadn't really made any new friends from inside society, and rarely ever talked to his old friends...however, he felt and appreciated their support all the same...it was almost as if he was finally moving on a little...he didn't know if he could call Michaela a good friend yet...but he felt that he talk to her, that she would understand...she had a charm, or charisma about her, that made things feel right...Sully only hoped that he would get to talk to this lady doctor again sometime soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Just a Little Change

**Chapter 4: Just a Little Change **

The weeks that followed slowly got easier, as the long hours became a routine event. Michaela had developed good friends in high places right off the bat with her extensive knowledge and quick diagnosis reflex. Once after a long and tiring argument with one of the surgical doctors over a possible diagnosis, she was happy to find that the surgeon had gone back to his notes and discovered that Michaela was correct. However, Michaela only found out this through the nurse's gossip, as the "superior doctor" was too proud to admit his wrong.

With first impressions out of the way, Michaela and the other interns were able to relax a bit as the constant surprise quizzing had decreased dramatically. Now, however, jobs were being assigned based on reviews from their supervising doctors. Michaela wasn't worried too much about this, unlike many of her fellow interns; and she knew she would be happy anywhere they put her, as long as it involved doctoring.

One day, as Michaela was restocking the medicine cabinets in an emergency room, a little girl, with pale-blond ringlets ran into the room and hid underneath the surgery table. A moment later a boy, no older than 14, ran to the door, and stood looking around seeing only Michaela, who had just turned around and was looking at the perplexed boy. "Can I help y..." Michaela began.

"Yes, have you seen a little girl come running through here lately?" the boy asked anxiously.

Michaela, who had not seen the girl yet, shook her head and replied, "No, I'm afraid I haven't, but if I'll keep an eye out for her."

The young man nodded his thanks and continued off down the hall. Michaela turned back to her task at hand, and as she reached up to place a bottle of alcohol on the high self of the cupboard, a crash from behind her startled her causing her to drop the bottle, which cracked and leaked onto the floor. Michaela spun around, to see the small girl standing in a pile of instruments, which she had knocked off the tray above her, in her hurry to get out of the room. Tears were in her eyes, and it was apparent that she had been crying long before she had entered the room.

Michaela left the mess at her feet and slowly walked over to the girl with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you all right sweet-heart?" Michaela asked while grabbing a clean cloth from the counter, kneeling before the girl. The girl nodded her head 'yes'...then paused and shook her head 'no', before collapsing into Michaela's arms in long hard sobs. Michaela sat on the floor of the room and rocked the young child while stroking her hair, dreading what could have made this poor girl so upset.

"Shh...It's ok...it's ok...here, let me see that pretty face of yours..." Michaela whispered comfortingly. When the young girls face finally reappeared from it's hiding place on Michaela's now soaked shoulder, the poor child's eyes were blood-shot red from her continuous crying. Michaela took the soft cloth and gentle dabbed the girl's face, drying the tears that continuously spilled from the girl's eyes.

"Can you tell me your name?" Michaela asked quietly.

"Col-_hiccup_-leen" the young girl replied.

"Colleen...that's a beautiful name...well, my name is Michaela...but you can call me Mike if you want."

Colleen smiled a little, "Mike...that's a funny name for a girl!"

"Yes, I suppose it is...but that's what my father used to call me...you want to know what I think is odd? Why is a girl as beautiful as yourself, sitting here alone, crying...you want to tell me what's wrong..." Michaela asked. Unfortunately, Colleen, upon remembering why she was sitting in the lap of this stranger, became quiet again and drew into herself. Michaela wanted Colleen to trust her, "You know, I'm planning on becoming a doctor someday, and my job will be to make people feel better...but if my patients don't tell me what's wrong with them, I wont be able to find out what is wrong, and then I can't help them...do you think you could let me help you a little?" Michaela encouraged gently.

Colleen looked up into Michaela's eyes, and noticed, not only that they were two different colors, but also that they were full of kindness and compassion, and that she could trust Michaela. "My mama...she was sick and we came here to make her feel better, but the doctors keep telling my older brother, Matthew, that her heart is falling, and that she may die soon..." Colleen said on the verge of tears again.

"You mean your mother's heart is failing?" and Colleen nodded.

"Does that mean my mama is going to stop loving me before she dies?" Colleen asked innocently.

Michaela's heart broke for the poor girl, seeing that she had no earthly idea what was happening to her mama. "No, no, of course not...you see, your mother's heart is like a big photo album, full of loving memories and happiness, only now the camera is going to stop taking pictures and your mama's heart and soul are going to go up to heaven, so she can look at all the wonderful pictures she has of you and your bother and the rest of you family and remember all of those precious memories...and when it's your turn to go to heaven, you'll be able to bring up your own pictures to share with your mother." Michaela explained as best she could to the darling girl.

"So, my mama will keep on loving me...even when she goes to heaven?" Colleen questioned.

"Of course...and she'll love you more and more everyday..." Michaela hugged the little girl.

"Promise?" Colleen smiled slightly.

"I promise, Colleen, with all my heart." Michaela told her with confidence.

"You know what?" Colleen looked at Michaela with a serious face.

"What?" Michaela said to Colleen with the same serious expression on her face.

"I think that you're gonna be a great doctor someday!" Colleen said with conviction.

"Why thank you Miss Colleen, now what do you say we clean up ourselves and the floor really quickly and then get you back to your family..." Michaela said to Colleen.

"Leave the mess Quinn..." A man's voice started the pair from their conversation.

"Dr. Bernard...I can explain..." Michaela started.

"Please, just take the girl up to the front desk, they'll get her back to her family, then meet me in my office on the fourth floor." Dr. Bernard said sternly.

Michaela nodded and took colleen up into her arms before heading out the door. Before the passed Dr. Bernard, Colleen suddenly said, "Please, Dr. Burned, Mike here only was trying to make me feel better...and I was the one who made the mess...don't get her in-tah trouble..."

Michaela smiled at the girl's bravery and looked up at Dr. Bernard briefly. Dr. Bernard smiled a bit at the young girl and then said, "Well, I'll consider what you said, Miss...I appreciate your honesty." He finished before heading out the door.

Michaela left Colleen with the nurses at the front desk the hurried toward Dr. Bernard's office. Michaela knew that there were hospital regulation that would have prohibited contact between a patient or family member and an intern...however, Michaela couldn't just let the girl sit and cry like that...she knew she would have to defend her side to Dr. Bernard.

When she reached the door to his office, she took a breath and knocked firmly on the door. Then, upon hearing a gruff "Come in!" she entered the moderately sized office space. Glancing around at the office space, it reminded her so much of her fathers office back in Boston. Medical books ranged the walls, and Michaela knew that if she was let loose in here, she could be happy for days on end. Then her eyes stopped at Dr. Bernard, who was seated at his desk waiting for her arrival.

"Dr. Bernard...please let me explain my actions..."

"No...I don't need to hear it." Dr. Bernard said seriously.

"But, please...sir...the situation..." Michaela began again.

"Dr. Quinn, you completely miss read my intentions..." Dr. Bernard smile at Michaela slightly.

"Excuse me?" Michaela said dumbstruck.

"I did not ask you to come here to explain yourself...I am asking, however, what you are considering for a job."

"Well, I want to be a doctor sir..." Michaela said, slightly confused.

"Yes, that is apparent Quinn...I was questioning what branch...surgery...pediatrics...etc.?"

"Oh, well honestly I would be happy in any branch..." Michaela began.

"What would you say are your strengths as a doctor?" Dr. Bernard pushed.

"Well, I know diagnosis is my greatest strength...but I am able to do well under intense pressure, in instances of surgery, I think I would do quite well..." Michaela considered.

"I would agree, and even add that you are good with people in general...that is why I am offering you the internship of head-intern surgeon at the children's hospital near by...are you interested?" Dr. Bernard asked with a smile.

A smile soon spread on Michaela's face and she could hardly contain her joy of this offer. "Of course...I'm honored...thank you so much!" Michaela exclaimed.

"Well, you've earned it...your work has not dropped since the first day you arrived...it's maybe even improved...congratulations...and I believe your shift has just ended, so you are free to go." Dr. Bernard said while shaking Michaela's hand.

"Thank you...oh, what about the mess...I can clean it up..." Michaela began as she headed for the door.

"No, no...There's another shift of interns coming in now...they'll get it cleaned up."

"Thank you...thank you so much Dr. Bernard!" Michaela exclaimed as she walked through the door.

Michaela loved her new job al the Children's hospital. Although it saddened her to see all the sick children, knowing that she could help them, brought a comfort and joy into her life that seemed to almost complete her being. David also was rewarded with a high ranking position, as a surgeon at St. Joseph's, with a specialty in eye-surgery. William had received the not-so-glamorous role of assistant to Dr. Cassidy, who had been his supervising doctor and who wanted to keep him under his eye.

Months seemed to speed by, and Michaela made many new friends. Dorothy and she had come to an unspoken agreement and apology, which promised that the argument would be dropped and forgotten. However, Michaela continued to worry about what Dorothy had said, so she did her best to make sure David knew that she loved him; allowing the sweet kisses and soft caresses, even when it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. But she told herself that she just wasn't use to the attention and that the nervousness would pass in time.

Michaela had seen very little of Sully lately; yet when she did see him, he always smiled at her and talked to her a little. Michaela had noticed a small change; it seemed, in Sully's eyes. What once held nothing but pain and suffering now had softened a little and Michaela could see the kind-heartedness breaking through the barrier. She knew he was moving on little by little, and it overjoyed her to see that he was allowing nature to take its course. Michaela had not yet gotten the courage to ask Sully where he continued to disappear off to every once in a while; but she felt it wasn't exactly her business. However, it still mystified her.

Her chance to ask him suddenly came when she had gone to William's house on the morning of Thanksgiving Eve to arrange plans for the following day's celebration. Unfortunately, William had forgotten to mention that he was going on a skiing trip with some old friends; so when Michaela entered the cabin, she found the place deserted. Leaving the cabin, Michaela started back down the road she came from. As she walked, she noticed the figure of a man on a horse coming from the woods and heading in her direction at a moderate trot. As the man's face became clearer to Michaela, she realized that it was Sully on the horse. As he approached her, Sully smiled slightly and dismounted from his steed. "Hello Mike."

"Good morning Sully...I had no idea you rode horses...is she yours?" Michaela said while stroking the nose of the chestnut mare gently.

"She is my friend yes...I wouldn't say that I own her though..."Michaela looked at Sully, slightly confused.

"Does she belong to a friend on yours then?" Michaela asked.

"She belongs to nobody but herself...she allows only who she wants to ride her." Sully explained while placing his hand on the mare's bare back.

It then suddenly dawned on Michaela that there were some things missing in the picture. "Sully...where is your saddle...were you riding..."

"Bare-back? Yes...it's how I was taught...and it feels more comfortable of both the horse and me...it is as nature intended it, so to speak..." Sully interrupted.

"That's an interesting way of seeing things..." Michaela said, still contemplating his words. "May I ask where you were coming from? Is there a trail...or..."

"No trail...at least not one leading to anywhere anyone would want to go."

"But you must have...wanted to go there, I mean." Michaela was incredible curious by this point to find out where Sully had been.

Sully smiled to himself...he couldn't believe that such a beautiful and elegant young woman could be so stubborn and persistent. "Well if you're so keen on knowing...I was seeing some friends of mind."

"In the middle of the woods?" Michaela questioned.

"That's where the reservation is..."

"Reservation? I don't understand..." Michaela said, utterly confused.

"I am good friends with a local tribe of Cheyenne Indians...they live on a reservation about five miles into those woods." Sully explained to a perplexed Michaela.

"Sully...what are you talking about...this isn't the 1860's or anything...what do you mean Indian Reservation?"

Sully took a deep breath..."Another, clueless, American citizen, who lives in denial; believing that all is good and right in this prosperous country." Sully thought to himself. "I afraid Mike, that we have not progressed much since the 1860s with the Native Americans."

"But...the government...didn't they create acts, like the Dawes Act...or the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934, to help the Native Americans?" Michaela said, while slowly realizing that the lie that was her perception of the Native American's history, was slowly unfolding to reveal the truth.

"Do you know what those actually did?" Sully asked, while Michaela slowly shook her head. "Come with me and I'll show you what these acts did for the Native Americans..." Sully said as he remounted his horse and reached for Michaela's hand.

Michaela hesitated, realizing that Sully wanted her to get up onto the horse with him. "Oh, Sully...I've only ridden English...not even Western...let alone bare-back."

"Come on, give me your hand...you'll be fine."

Michaela looked up into those crystal-blue eyes that reminded Michaela of the ocean; rough exterior, yet beautiful under the surface, and full of life. Trusting him and knowing that she should know the truth that seemed so important to him, Michaela grasped his outreached hand and allowed him to pull her up to sit behind him.

"Hold on to my waist..." Sully said over his shoulder, "...and don't let go."

"Oh, we won't have to worry about that." Michaela said as they started off at a swift canter. "So, what exactly did the Dawes Act and Indian Reorganization Act do?" Michaela asked after a few minutes, trying to get her mind off of her discomfort and fears of falling off.

After slowing down to a trot, Sully began, "The Dawes Act tried to do away with reservations...it gave each Native American a plot of land to farm and promised eventual citizenship to the United States..."

"Well that sounds good...isn't it" Michaela said confused.

"Firstly, I said they were promised citizenship...do you think it actually was granted in the lifetime of those who had lived for the Dawes Act? Their 'guaranteed' citizenship was continuously postponed...Secondly, the land that they were given not only wasn't of any good value to farming, but also wasn't actually the Native Americans' land to own individually...it was land put into a trust, where Caucasian government officials looked over and controlled it. Finally, the Cheyenne, and most other tribes, were not farmers...they were hunters...many Native Americans fell back to reservations as their only means of survival...the Indian Reorganization Act did improve some things for the Native Americans, but by the 1950s the government had turned hostile towards the Native Americans...Now, Native Americans make up the poorest of the minorities...you'll see what I mean when we get there..." Sully explained.

Sully urged his horse forward, speeding them back up to a canter. Michaela clutched the sides of Sully's shirt for dear life, and placed her cheek on the top of his back for extra support. As trees whipped past them, Michaela realized what an awkward position she was in...On the back of a horse, so close to Sully...and yet it didn't feel awkward... "What am I thinking? Where is this coming from? Sully is just a friend, taking me to see some people who really mean a lot to him" Michaela chastised herself. Then without any notice, Sully slowed his horse to an abrupt halt, causing Michaela to continue to move forward and push even more into Sully. Sully, apparently thinking nothing of it, dismounted and reached up for Michaela. "We'll walk from here." Sully explained, noticing her confused face.

Michaela started to swing her foot around the back of the horse, but lost her balance and fell right into Sully's ever-ready arms. Sully caught her delicate body before she hit the ground, and sat there for a moment, having not yet understood the awkward positioning that they were in. Michaela looked up into his surprised face and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Sully..."

"No problem..." Was all Sully could come up with. Slowly, the innocent, grateful moment of being saved, became a tense and embarrassing one, when it finally dawned on both of them that they were in each others arms. Swiftly, Michaela and Sully parted and stood silently. Then as if nothing had happened, Sully grabbed the reigns of his horse and gestured Michaela to follow him.

They walked for a few minutes in silence until Michaela got up the courage to ask a question that had been gnawing at her since she first heard Sully say he had been to the Cheyenne reservation. "Sully, how did you come to be friends with the Cheyenne?"

Silence followed the question, and Michaela would have thought that he had not heard her; however, as Michaela had asked the question, she'd notice that he had gone rigid and his body seemed tense. Michaela decide not to pursue the question, and figured that he would answer only if he wanted to. Yet, now she was even more captivated to find out all the answers to this mysterious man's past.

Slowly, Sully took a deep breath, and, much to Michaela's surprise and delight, Sully began to tell her of his meeting of the Cheyenne people. "I came across them...or they more came across me a few years ago at a...a very depressing stage of my life...basically they took me in and helped me get back on my feet, as best the could...they gave me the will to keep living...therefore giving and saving my life...I owe them everything and more...and yet they continue to suffer from wrongs committed to them and their people over 100 years ago. They've lost so much...not only millions of lives...but their entire culture...this morning I was making one of my weekly trips...when I bring them some food and preserves..." Sully explained solemnly.

Michaela became very quiet as they continued to walk. She had her questions answered...but now she felt even worse and more helpless than before he had told her. Suddenly more observant of her surroundings, Michaela noticed that the normal sounds of nature, were mixed with the laughter of children and the scurrying and talking of many people located just beyond the upcoming hill. Sully tied his horse to a tree at the base of the gradual hill, and started up towards the contrasting noises, closely followed by Michaela.

Michaela had only seen one thing that was anywhere close to as devastating in the United States. It was a picture from her old history textbook of a Shanty Town located near Washington D.C. called Murder Bay. The site before her almost made her sick. Far-too-thin children played in mud-splashed clothes while their mothers worked at harvesting scrawny-looking vegetable from the dry, hard ground that lay next to the wooden shacks that were apparently their houses. A few heads turned when they noticed her and Sully's presence. Michaela heard muttering in a language that she could not understand.

"Névááso?" one man whispered to his partner

Michaela glanced at Sully, unsure of what to do. Sully nodded forward while saying, "Let's go over here, there's someone I think you'd like to meet."

Michaela followed Sully past the staring eyes. Michaela tried to smile at the curious children, but she found the entire place so distressful and pitiful that she could not find any reason in smiling. A grin wasn't going to make these people's pains go away.

Sully reached the end of the village where he stopped at man with long, midnight-black, hair that glistened in the sunbeams; which were caused by the sunlight being filtered by the trees. Various traditional clothing was mixed with modern slacks and a shirt. The man held an outstretched arm to the approaching Sully.

"Va'ôhtama, my friend...you have returned already...I should not have doubted the Spirits' words." The man said to Sully, while grasping arms firmly with him.

"I was surprised when your words to bring the eager learner here when the time was right, actually made sense..." Sully said grinning.

Michaela watched the exchange, not understanding a bit of what they were conversing about. Sully then turned away from his Cheyenne friend and looked at Michaela. "Michaela, this is my very close friend, Cloud Dancing... Cloud Dancing, this is Dr. Michaela Quinn..." Sully introduced the two.

Michaela smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you...I'm afraid that my reason for being here, though, is due to my own ignorance...however, I am ready to learn...I wish only that the rest of the country could see what's happening in their own backyard..."

Cloud Dancing smiled at her, then whispered to Sully, "Ého'néhevêhohtse..."

Michaela felt very much put out and self conscious, "Please, what does that mean...I want to understand you but..."

"Sweet child, Ého'néhevêhohtse means 'she is very wise'...you are eager to learn all there is to know, but today is not the day to begin...when the time is right, I myself will teach you all you wish to know...however, now I believe that prior plans must be met and you should be going..."

Michaela was confused, at first, by his words...but then she thought to look at her watch face, realizing she was supposed to have met Davis at her apartment five minutes ago. "Sully! I need to go...I'm late...can I get a rid–"

"A ride? Of course, did you think I would make you walk all the way home? Let's go...goodbye my brother." Sully said while smiling and clasping the other man's arm.

Cloud Dancing watched the pair hurry off from whence they came chuckling softly to himself. A woman with jet-black hair, worn in two braids, walked up to Cloud dancing and wrapped her arm around his waist before saying, "I have not seen that twinkle in Sully's eye until today...was it always there or did something change?"

Cloud Dancing smiled at his wife. "Well, according to the spirits, a very large change is occurring that will result in a miracle experienced only by the few..."

"Oh, and what miracle might that be?"

"The spirits have symbolized this miracle with two hawks..." Cloud Dancing explained.

"Does that mean that Sully will..." The woman began.

"That is what is planned...however... Ée'tóhtahe..." Cloud Dancing sighed, "They both are..."

Va'ôhtama means "Welcome."

Névááso means "Who is that?"

Ée'tóhtahe means "He is afraid."

Michaela and Sully walked briskly back towards his horse. Michaela's head was spinning with new questions about so many different subjects, she didn't think she could even start to ask Sully all of them.

"Sully, how did Cloud Dancing know that I was late and needed to go" Michaela asked.

"Cloud Dancing is the tribe's Medicine Man, he is their spiritual guide, their leader, and their, so-to-say doctor...he must have gotten a message from the spirits." Sully explained to an intrigued Michaela.

Sully mounted his horse and, once again, helped Michaela up behind him. They rode back in silence, as Michaela's thoughts and questions were overflowing in her full mind. The ride back seemed much quicker, and they soon had made it to the main road.

"Do you want me to take you to your apartment?" Sully asked while glancing over his shoulder.

"Yes, that would much appreciate." Michaela answered.

When they had arrived at her apartment complex, David was waiting outside with an upset look set upon his face. Sully dismounted and helped Michaela down as David came running up to them.

"Michaela! Where on earth have you been?" David said shortly. "We were supposed to meet a half hour ago and you've been off riding horses with...**_him_**!"

"David...I sorry, we just lost track of time..." Michaela defended. "Sully was just...showing me something...a tree in the woods that has...um...healing properties..." Michaela came up with. She knew that what Sully had shown her was very special to him...and it was something that she somehow knew he had only shown her.

"You could have been dead in the woods for all I knew...and you didn't have your cell with you so I couldn't contact you…" David heaved.

"Oh, honestly David...all the times I was late to go out to dinner with you in Boston, you never overreacted like this then..." Michaela shot back.

"There weren't bears in Boston that could attack you at any minute..."

"Don't be ridiculous David! This isn't the middle of a National forest for one, and secondly, it's much more likely that I would have been hit by a car in Boston, than have been attacked by a bear here!" Michaela puffed, then turned to Sully who had been silently awaiting his dismissal, while the two argued. "Thank you Sully...I would love to go back again sometime soon, please tell me when it would be a good time so I can plan for it..."

Sully smiled hesitantly. "I'll try to do that...sorry for getting her back here late, David...see you later Mike." Sully said before remounting and heading back up the road.

"So what were you two really doing?" David asked after Sully was out of earshot.

"What do you mean? He thought I would be interested in seeing a tree, it has healing properties…he was just trying to be kind…" Michaela said, doing her best not to show that she was lying.

"Well, it's just kind of odd that Sully, who will barely talk to anyone, suddenly decides to take a stranger out and show them…what a tree…Michaela I don't trust him…" David concluded.

"Well I do…he's sweet David…he may have a rough exterior…but you of all people should know what tragedy does to a person…" Michaela said calming down a little.

"It can make them go mad…that's what it can do to a person…but it seems that you've already made your decision…you want him to be your boyfriend, that's it isn't it!" David accused while walking towards his car.

Michaela followed him, shocked at impugnation. "Of course not…David! David! Listen to me…" But David continued to get into his car. Michaela ran to the car door before he could close it, and shouted at him. "I love you, David…please…I love you!" But he slammed the door shut on her and back out of the driveway.

Michaela was left in her driveway, tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't imagine a simple accident and misunderstanding had gone so wrong. She tried to brush the tears away from her face as she made her way up to the door, but new tears were constantly replacing the old ones. She opened the door of her apartment and walked inside, to find Dorothy writing at the kitchen counter.

"Hi, Michaela, I'm just finishing up an article for the…" Dorothy stopped when she saw Michaela's red eyes and patchy face. "Oh, Michaela what's wrong? David was here a while ago looking for you, did you find him?"

"Yes, yes I found him…we just had a falling out…he...he accused me…" Michaela stuttered as she sobbed.

"He accused you of what Michaela?" Dorothy pushed, while putting her arm around her distraught friend and sitting her down in the chair next to hers.

"He accused me of being in love with…with…with Sully!" Michaela said before breaking out into another seizure of sobs. "Then he just drove off…I kept telling him that I loved him…but he didn't listen to me…"

"Oh, darling…" Dorothy patted her back gently, as Michaela cried onto her shoulder. Dorothy wasn't so surprised that they had had a falling out, but she was blown away by the fact that it was Sully that David had accused Michaela of loving. "If you truly love him…you need to make sure he knows…why don't you try calling him…or go and see him at his apartment…I know that sometimes it's best to let each other cool off, but right now it sounds like David need you, and if you ignore him, he'll just think that he was right to assume that you don't love him anymore."

Michaela looked up at Dorothy with her puffy, blood-shot eyes, and saw her concern in her eyes. She nodded and sat her self up. "Thank you Dorothy… thanks for being there…listening…"

"Oh, that's what friends are for Michaela…yet…now don't get mad at me…but I'm just want you to be sure that you truly love him…I only say this because if you win him back and you discover that you don't love him like you thought you did…it's only going to make things worse for the both of you…" Dorothy said carefully.

Michaela looked down at her hands, thinking hard…knowing that Dorothy had only asked the question for her own sake. "I know I love him…I can feel the pain in my heart right now…I'll go to him, now." Michaela stated strongly while standing up and reaching for her jacket.

"Do you want a ride?" Dorothy offered.

"No, I'll call for a taxi…you know, I think I should go and get my self a car this weekend…cab rates are driving me up the wall…" Michaela said with a slight smile.

"Good luck Michaela, follow your heart…" Dorothy encouraged.

Michaela nodded and went to go and call the cab. She grabbed her cell phone and her jacket and went to wait outside for the taxi. As she waited, something continued to gnaw at her stomach, making it twist unnaturally. Now two people had questioned her love to David…was she in love? "Of course she was…" Michaela told herself. "All couples fight…it's just part of a relationship."

The taxi came up the drive way slowly, and Michaela got in, slamming the door behind her. "Where to, Miss?" The drive asked in a heavy southern accent.

"The Coventry Apartment Complex on Emerson Street, please." Michaela answered.

"Right 'o" the driver said, before speeding back down the drive way and towards downtown Denver. Michaela looked out the window of the cab, staring at everything and nothing that passed by. Her mind remained on David, and she hoped that she could make him understand how much she loved him and how much he meant to her…but as she sat, the disturbance in the pit of her stomach continued to grow, and into her mind flew the question… "_Have_ I fallen in love with Sully?"


	5. Chapter 5: Learning You Were Wrong

_This chapter contains a scene of sexual harassment...it is not extremely graphic, but the events are not for the faint at heart._

**Chapter 5: Learning You Were Wrong**

"Hello...Hello... Darling? It's me Michaela! I came to talk…" Michaela called into the seemingly empty apartment. "Hello! Is anyone home?"

This time she received David, drunkenly stumbling into the entry way from his bedroom with a skimpily dressed woman under his arm, as a response.

"'Ello there Mike...what tooks yah s-so long?" David laughed in slurred speech.

"David...what...who...what are you doing?" Michaela stuttered as she found herself short of breath.

"Perhaps I should be leaven' now..."said the young woman as she went to grab her coat. "Sorry Miss, didn't mean to ruin your holidays...he said he was lonely and didn't have anybody..."she whispered to Michaela as she left the apartment.

"And I wasn't lying either...you're either off with Sully…or you're too scared to be with me..." David began heatedly

"I am NOT scared! I just may have higher morals than you!" Michaela yelled back.

"So you admit to being with Sully!" David shouted victoriously.

"NO!" Michaela shouted desperately back.

"Yeah right…and morals…_humph_…That's what you'd like to think...but I see the fear in your eyes every time I even try to kiss you! Do you want something to be afraid of...well I can sure give you that!" David screamed at Michaela. Then in one sudden movement David lunged at her, catching Michaela completely off guard, grabbing her arms and thrusting them upwards, while pushing her onto the carpeted ground.

Michaela tried to scream but he hit her jaw hard and then placed his mouth roughly over hers, enveloping her muffled cries. David began ripping at her clothing to no avail. Michaela kicked and squirmed with all her might to get free from his ruthless grasps. Fed up with her resistance, David grabbed his envelope searing knife from the coffee table and held it to her throat, while placing his hand over her mouth. Michaela's resistance ceased momentarily and fear gripped her every being.

Seeing her acceptance of her inevitable fate, David's lips curled upward slightly as he began to run the knife over the weak fabric of her shirt. Overpowering fear and anger spread through Michaela, as she gave one more try of resistance. Her leg lunged upward, knocking the sense out of him. Michaela used this time of weakness to get out from underneath his brutal clutches.

Sprinting for her coat, she had almost made it, when she felt the grasp of his hand on her shoulder. Michaela whipped around, only to find the knife slowly cutting a shallow gash into the base of her neck.

"I wouldn't move too quickly if I were you..." David snarled into her ear as she felt his heated breath smother her neck.

Looking up into his dark eyes and finding no hope of returning sanity, Michaela used her knowledge of the human body to swindle herself out of her bleak situation. Thrusting her palm upward with as much force as she could muster, Michaela broke his nose clean, sending him backwards in a state of confusion. As he stumbled backwards, still not sober from his obvious alcohol consumption, David hit the back of his head on one of the standing columns, causing him to slump and lean back against it. Letting out a small breath of relief, Michaela sprinted towards the door, not even bothering with her jacket, and bolted down the metal stairs as fast as her shaking legs could carry her.

And then she ran...She ran as fast and as hard as she could, not knowing where she was going or how she would ever find her way home again. Michaela just ran. Ran away from fear...ran away from suffering...ran away from anger and spite and everything that she had just bear witness to...And yet it was all able to catch up with her...no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't loose them...she couldn't forget.

Pausing as she found herself in a dark, foreboding, ally way, Michaela glanced about her surroundings, realizing that now she was both emotionally and physically lost. Sighing in fear and exasperation, her hand felt something hard as it fell against her side. One good thing had occurred that night...a misted the struggle, her cell phone had miraculously not fallen from her jeans pocket. Perhaps there would be a little more life to live.

Tears cascaded down her swollen cheek as Michaela gripped her cell phone. But who could she call, who could she trust anymore? Rain started to mist down from the ominous clouds above, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before they would pour out rain. Looking back down at her cell phone, Michaela's mind drifted back to the only man she felt she could trust any more...why she felt she could trust him, she didn't know...maybe it was thant twinkle in his aqua-blue eyes that seemed to be saved just for her...

"It's too late, he may be sweet, and kind, but someone would have to be mad to drive out at this time of night, to a lone street, to pick up a deranged woman, who is practically a stranger to them!" Michaela's mind told her. However her something deep in her heart rebuked "They say those whoare mad, are the ones who are delirious from love". "But Sully isn't in love with me!" Michaela chastised herself. "I don't even know what love is anymore..."

The rain had already collected it self from a mist to the beginnings of a downpour. Michaela knew that she needed to get out of the rain; for, despite the fact that it was not yet below freezing, her wet clothes and the chilly atmosphere would soon create a perfect opportunity for hypothermia to set in on her already damaged body.

Finally coming to the conclusion that she should try to get anyone to take her home now, Michaela dialed Sully's number and waited in anticipation to hear his voice on the other side.

It was 1:36 am according to his alarm clock. Who in their right mind would be calling at this hour?

"'Lo?" mumbled Sully

"Oh God, I woke him up..." thought Michaela, "Well what would expect at this time of night?"

"Hello, is anyone there?" Sully repeated sleepily and with a bit of annoyance.

"Sully..." Michaela whispered through unsteady tears.

"Yeah, you got the right number; can I ask who this is?"

"Sully...oh God please help me..." Michaela whimpered.

"Please, who is this...Mic–..." No, Michaela wouldn't be calling at this hour, especially to him...

"Sully, it is Michaela...I need help...please will you pick me up...I'm so sorry...please, please help me..."cried Michaela

"Of course I'll pick you up...where are you?" Sully said as he bolted up out of bed and fear and angst swept through him.

On the other end of the line, relief and gratitude smothered Michaela as she sobbed, "I really don't know...I'm lost...I...I think I'm somewhere near the edge of campus...er...I don't know!"

"Can you figure out a street name?" Sully questioned as he pulled on a tee-shirt and jeans.

Michaela began to walk down the abandoned alley trying to spot a road sign. Finally she spotted one at the end of the alley, forming hope, like the light at the end of the darkness.

"Pearl Street...I'm at the corner of Amber and Pearl Street..." Michaela whimpered into the phone.

"Ok, just stay there...I'm on my way..." Sully confirmed as he grabbed his car keys and fleece jacket.

"Please hurry..." Michaela whispered right as she closed her phone.

Rain started to beat down on her already cold and wet body. The rain mixed with the sliver of blood, which slowly emanated from the small cut on her collarbone. The wind began to pick up and caused an eerie sound to contrast the rhythmic beatings of the rain onto the ally. Michaela knew that David was most likely past out drunk on the floor of his apartment and would have no recollection of what happened earlier; yet her gut instinct made her wary of the possibility that he may come for her again.

The cold night air whipped around her and the downpour of rain was mixing with ice and sleet as the cold front moved in. Dressed in nothing but a thin shirt and jeans, Michaela sat on the frigid, concrete steps of a campus dorm, shivering involuntarily and sobbing into the night air.

The roads had become a slick mess of ice and rain; and driving on a university campus during a school break was not what Sully would call a 'joy ride'. He had already passed one group of college guys who had consumed their fair share of drinks that night. Seeing them only made Sully want to get the Michaela quicker and get her out of harms way.

Her distraught voice on the phone had sent shivers down his back in anticipation of what horrors she may have seen or been through. "What could have happened to her" Sully found himself thinking again as the worst case scenarios of what may have occurred to her came into his mind. He slowed down as he made his way down 12th Avenue and then on to Pearl Street. In the fading glow emitted by a street light, Sully saw a huddled form sitting on the steps of a college dorm. At first he passed it off as a bag left for the garbage, but he quickly realized that it was a wet and anguished Michaela.

Sully quickly parked his car and jumped out into the freezing air before running to Michaela's shivering body...

Michaela looked up when she heard footsteps running toward her. At first she thought of running again, afraid it was David coming to finish what he had started, but upon seeing his piercing, azure-blue eyes, Michaela let out a small sigh of relief and held out her hand as he moved towards her.

Sully looked into her contrasting eyes and saw all the fear and torture that the world had lay upon her. Grasping her hand, slick and cold from the rain, Sully slowly brought Michaela to her feet and put his arm around her shoulders to steady her as she stumbled towards the welcoming car. "Let's get you out of here." Sully whispered into her ear as they made their way towards the vehicle.

Michaela nodded slightly and, with Sully's help, got into the waiting car. Sully closed the passenger door and made his way carefully, so as not to slip on the ice forming on the asphalt, to the driver's side. While waiting for Sully's return, Michaela gazed out the window, into the shadows between the dorm buildings. As she peered harder, she swore she could just make out the silhouette of a tall, dark, figure. However she was awakened from her reverie, when Sully entered the car and the door slammed shut.

Sully glanced worriedly at Michaela before asking, "Where do you want me to take you?"

Michaela looked at her soaked lap, trying to decide where to go. She initially thought she would go to her apartment, but fear that David might come looking for her there pushed that idea out of the question. Michaela then realized she had no place to go where she could be safe...except for her haven...

Michaela shook her head, "I don't know...I suppose the hospital..."

"Are you hurt badly?" Sully asked as he raked her visible features for any major injuries.

"No...I mean the Children's Hospital...I...I just knew some children who might want some..." Michaela began.

"Are you seriously considering going to work...now?" Sully asked while a look of utter confusion and concern blazed his face. "Hey, if you want . . . or need to that is . . . you can come to my place . . ."

"Oh no . . . I couldn't impose . . ."

"Believe me, it would be no trouble at all . . . in fact, Will's out on some ski trip with some colleagues . . . I'd be happy to have ya . . . "

"I...er . . . " Michaela stuttered, trying to come up with a legitimate excuse, but the offer was much too tempting to let her mind think of an excuse. Instead she nodded in approval and gave Sully a small smile of gratitude.

"Well then that settles it . . ." Sully smiled back at her and began to drive back to his apartment.

Michaela never looked back at the shadows that had caused her to panic earlier. Had she, she would have found a site that was much to her dismay . . . for the shadow had indeed been David, and unfortunately, David knew the owner of the car.


	6. Chapter 6: Both a Little Scared

**Chapter 6: Both a Little Scared**

For a while they sat in silence; both were afraid of the truth, whether they knew of it or not. Michaela sat, wet clothes clinging to her shaking body, knowing Sully would have to be told. Sully sat in horror of Michaela's beaten appearance, hoping that, in this case, looks could be deceiving. Unfortunately for both of them, looks told it all. From the scratched and bruises, to the concealed disposition, it was obvious that Michaela had indeed been through a traumatic experience. What wasn't certain was if she would be able to discuss it, and therefore move on. Luckily, for both of them, Michaela was a strong person; but it was going to take all of the strength she could muster, just to speak. She would have to take it a word at a time.

"We were still fighting..." Michaela said shakily.

"Sorry?" Sully looked at her confused.

"After you left...we continued to argue...he said...he said that I didn't love him, and then he drove off..." Michaela decided not to tell Sully the entire part of the argument, as it really didn't seem to matter any more. "I went to his apartment a little while later; to try and talk with him...when I got there...he...he was..." Michaela started sobbing uncontrollably as the memories came back, slapping her as hard in the face as they had when she first endured them.

"Hey it's ok...it's ok...here, we're almost there...it's ok...shh..." Sully comforted as he placed one of his hands gently on her back. Upon feeling the first impact of his hand, she flinched slightly, and then relaxed, allowing Sully to hesitantly rub his solacing hand on her shoulder.

Sully drove his car up the driveway to his house, parking it as close as possible to the entry-way. Jumping out into the bitter cold, Sully almost slipped on the ice that was forming quickly under his feet. Making his way carefully over to the passenger's side, he arrived to find Michaela attempting to get out on her own. Before Sully could get to her, Michaela stepped out with her shaking legs. Slipping due to her shivers and unawareness, she fell onto the cold ground. She gasped in pain and held her right thigh, where she found the steady trickle of blood escaping through the rip in her jeans, and staining the already fallen snow. Sully got to her as quickly as he could manage, and crouched beside her before lifting her up into his arms and carrying her into the cabin.

Upon entering, Sully laid Michaela's frail and broken body onto the leather couch, before he took off his jacket and laid it down on a chair near by. In the light of the room, Sully was finally able to see the extent of Michaela's exterior bodily injuries; and what he saw shocked him. Her shirt was ripped and torn in multiple places, bruises ranged all over he lower arms, an especially gruesome bruise lay below the apple of her cheek, and she was scratched and bleeding in multiple places. Laying a blanket over her injured form, Sully leaned over to whisper to her "I'll be right back; I'm just going to get some things for you." Michaela moaned in acknowledgment to him, and Sully sped off to get the needed supplies.

Seeing Michaela's injuries had haunted and angered Sully from deep within. He suspected that David had committed the crimes against her; and if that was the case, he would make sure that David paid for his actions. After grabbing blankets and first-aid kits, along with cloths and towels, Sully made his way back to where Michaela lay, grimacing with pain. Sully laid the various objects on the coffee table before crouching next to the hearth and lighting a fire. Momentarily, the crackling of the flames smothering and burning the wood was heard, as Sully moved back to kneel beside Michaela and remove the thin blanket to treat her injuries.

Sully carefully disinfected and bandaged every scratch and abrasion, he swabbed every bruise with salve, and he did all he could to make sure she was physically comfortable before glancing at her and suggesting "You might want to get out of those wet clothes...laying in them is only gonna make your condition worse..."

To Michaela, the sticky, wet, clothes felt very uncomfortable and chilling under the warmth of the blanket, yet she still had one problem..."Sully, I don't have anything to change into..." Michaela mumbled softly.

"I'll go find you some thing...I'll be right back" Sully said, exiting the room again. Michaela stared up at the ceiling, where flames cast elongating, dancing lights that hypnotized her; causing Michaela to forget for one moment all the horrors that she had seen that night. Her reverie was interrupted, however, by Sully's return with a short stack of clothing.

"I didn't have much...it's all gonna be really big on yah, but it's better than what yah got on now." Sully reasoned. Michaela nodded, and tried to sit up, finding that she needed Sully's help just stand her weak body upright. Sully helped Michaela to the bathroom so that she could change. "If you want to shower, go ahead...I'm going to make some tea...are you going to be alright?" Sully asked concerned.

Michaela smiled slightly and nodded, while she held firmly onto the sink to keep her failing legs from collapsing from under her. "Thank you, Sully." Michaela muttered before closing the door behind her and glancing down at the clothing she held in her hands. Placing the clothing onto the end table, Michaela continued to grip the sink as she peeled off each layer of clothing. Before pulling on the dry clothes Sully had offered her, Michaela caught the reflection of herself in the mirror. She sobbed quietly at what she saw. Unbeknownst to Sully, much of the bruising had occurred under her clothing, where he, naturally, couldn't see. Looking at her face, seeing the close-distortion that had been caused by David's punch at her jaw, Michaela felt tears stinging her eyes and beginning to cascade down her cheeks. She hadn't yet grasped that this had actually happened to her; but as she saw the evidence standing before her, she knew that this was no nightmare...she knew that it had happened...it was done...now she was going to have to live and deal with it... "At least..." she thought to herself, "...at least he didn't get his way...at least I was able to escape...at least Sully was there to help me...no, Sully _is_ there to help me...I need to be strong now...I need to tell him what happened..." Michaela then realized that her case was no different than little Colleen's...if she didn't tell him what happened, he wouldn't be able to help her.

Michaela lifted the dry, cotton, shirt over head and dropped it over herself; smothering her form, and falling to just above her knees. Pulling on the pair of flannel pants, she found that she had to wrap the draw string around her tiny waist a second time, to ensure that the baggy pants stayed up. Feeling the dampness of her hair seeping through the dry shirt, she undid her knotted, tangled, locks and wrung out the extra moisture, before brushing through it with her fingers, and pulling it back into a loose tail. Glancing back into the mirror, she couldn't help but grin slightly at her ridiculous appearance. Everything fit huge on her petite body; yet the comfort of being out of the clothes that the incident had occurred in, was far too overwhelming for her to complain on the size of the garments.

Glancing once more at herself in the mirror, Michaela closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing for the plunge she was about to take. Feeling for the door knob, she grasped it, and turned the handle slowly. Opening the door, she found that the living room was deserted. The fire crackled invitingly in its place, and Michaela sat back down on the couch, staring mindlessly into the flames. Unnoticed, Sully stood in the archway of the passage between the kitchen and living room, holding two hot mugs of tea in either hand. "God, she still looks beautiful...even with all of her wounds, and the in the unfitted clothing... " Sully thought to himself while gazing at her. "I bet she would look gorgeous even if she fell head-first into the mud..." Sully was brought back from his daydream when he noticed Michaela was shivering slightly. He knew that it wasn't from any chill in the room, but from the fear and memory of what she had experienced. He knew that she needed to tell him now...before the pain got much worse.

"Here's some tea...should help warm you up a little." Sully said while walking over to Michaela and handing her a cup. Unaware yet of the happenings in her experience, and afraid of frightening her by sitting too close, Sully settled by pulling up an arm chair, instead of taking the place next to her on the couch.

Michaela looked into the cup and sniffed slightly at the steam which rose from him. "What type of tea is this?" Michaela wondered, not being familiar with the distinct smell.

"It's a Cheyenne recipe, called Willow Bark tea...there are actually trees that have healing properties to them..." Sully smiled slightly in remembrance.

Michaela, however, did not find the memory of her words amusing, because she knew what had then followed. Sully saw Michaela tense up, and sighed softly, upset with himself for making her feel uncomfortable. Michaela looked at Sully, knowing that he was just trying to help her, and decided to take the dive now. "He was with a woman..." Michaela began where she had earlier left off, "...a prostitute, I suppose...and he was drunk...the lady left, said that he told her he didn't have anybody and was lonely...David said that he wasn't lying, he said I was scared to be around him...that I was too afraid to be _with _him..." Michaela emphasized 'with', hoping that Sully would understand her meaning. "I suppose he was partially right...but, I...I wasn't brought up that way!" Michaela cried.

Sully moved to comfort her, but then thought better of it, and let her continue. Michaela composed herself, and went on to the hardest parts of her awful memory. "...anyways, everything after that happened so quickly...and yet it was as if it was in slow motion at the same time...I saw him lunge for me...I didn't think he would do anything to hurt me...no matter how drunk he was...but...Sully...he did..." Michaela sobbed. "...he pulled me down, with him on top of me...and he tried...he tried to...to..." But Michaela couldn't say it. It felt as if saying it, would acknowledge that it had happened...and, unfortunately, that was exactly what Michaela needed to do...she knew deep with in her that it had happened...but now she needed to get it out...to admit that her life was no longer full of innocence and peace...she too had seen the evil in the world...evil at it's worst.

Sully waited patiently for her to gather her broken self, and continue on. He only hoped that the obvious conclusion to Michaela's sentence would not be the true one. Michaela shut her eyes tightly, impeding any further tears from falling, and opened her mouth slowly, while saying determinately, "He tried to rape me."

Her words seemed to echo off the walls, causing all living things to pause and shutter in their place. Sully clenched his fists on the arms of the chair; his worst predictions were becoming fact. Michaela relaxed the tension in her eyes, and all the held tears came tumbling down her rosy cheeks. She felt as if a large mass had been lifted off of her chest, allowing emotions to flood into other emotions, as sobs fled into other sobs.

Had it not been for the wrecked state that Michaela was in; Sully knew that he would have torn out of the house not two seconds after she had told him, and possibly killed David for what he did to Michaela. Suddenly, memories flooded back into his mind...of finding the lost girl, lying dead-cold in the woods. Her clothes had been torn, much like Michaela's were, yet her bruising and scarring were nothing compared to Michaela's beat-up form. Sully remembered wanting to find that man and make him pay for his crimes too; but there was no lead, no witness, no suspect. Sully had left feeling helpless, and went home to find out the devastating news. Tears from long ago attempted to renew themselves in Sully's eyes; but Sully blinked them back and looked over at the crumpled Michaela.

Sully got up from his chair and kneeled in front of Michaela, before enveloping her in his arms. He knew that, whether she would admit to it or not, she needed someone to hold her. He remembered all the times he had needed someone; but then he had resisted. He had pushed everyone away, and it almost cost him his sanity. The one thing he didn't expect was for Michaela to be so willing, that her whole body fell right into his arms. What surprised him even more was that she stayed there and didn't even attempt to get up. She sat in his lap and cried her heart out.

Michaela cried for her memories and pains and emotions...she was one who rarely allowed for her emotions to show, especially to anyone else; thus causing her feelings to build up and for her to burst when they came loose. Because of this characteristic, Michaela would never have let Sully see her cry as she was now; however in this drastic situation, Sully's arms encircling around her felt heavenly, compared to the lonely, sopping-wet, pillow that would otherwise await her.

Sully gently rocked Michaela, whispering comforting words in her ear, while rubbing her heaving back or stroking her long, wet, auburn hair. After some time her cries seemed to weaken and the shaking slowed to an occasional hiccup. Michaela raised her head slowly and let her eyes float up to meet Sully's. He looked at her with all the compassion and caring in the world, yet she saw an anger hidden deep within, and she instantly understood what it was from. "Sully...promise me you won't go after David...please, promise me!" Michaela's voice cracked out again, seeing the anger come forward and flash slightly in his eyes. "Please, Sully, he was drunk...I know that doesn't excuse him for his actions...but, I can't have you getting into trouble because of something as low as him..." Michaela explained. Sully nodded, understanding but not completely agreeing with, her reasoning, and Michaela saw the anger subdue and fall back into the blueness of his eyes. "Thank you, Sully." Michaela cracked a small smile, and Sully knew it wasn't just for the promise. Michaela didn't know what else to say...although her gratitude went far beyond those two words, she couldn't string any words together that would make sense, or come any closer to doing justice than 'thank you' had.

As a single tear emanated from Michaela's blood shot eyes, Sully used the pad of his thumb to wipe it away from her tear-streaked face. Reveling in the feel of her soft skin to his hand, he cupped the side of her face. "Your welcome Michaela..." Sully said warmly before scooping her up into his arms and standing to lay her onto the couch. "You should try to sleep now...you're exhausted..." Sully commented knowingly. Michaela nodded her head, as Sully reached for the blankets and pillows he had brought in earlier. Gently, Sully helped Michael lift her head as he placed a pillow underneath. Then taking the blanket, he placed it on top of her, making sure she was covered fully from the shoulders down. "Yah warm enough? I'll leave the fire going...it will go down a little as the night ends..." Sully assured, as Michaela nodded once more gratefully. "I'll be just down the hall...if you need absolutely anything...don't hesitate to call."

As Sully turned to leave, Michaela felt she had one more thing that she had to tell him. "Sully! I need to tell you...he...I ...I told you that he tried to...rape me...Sully...he didn't succeed...I got away..." Michaela concluded, staring up into his eyes, seeing some of the anger die out and more hope come forth. Sully smiled and nodded. "I hoped that was what you'd been saying...you're safe now Michaela...I'm gonna make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again..." Sully told her determinately. Michaela felt fresh tears growing in her eyes at Sully's kind and brave words. She nodded, allowing him to move out of the room and farther down the hall. Michaela looked upward towards heaven, silently thanking God for sending her this guardian angel. Within seconds, Michaela's head fell deeper into the soft pillow and sleep overtook her tired body and mind.

Sully never went to his room that night. After waiting for Michaela to fall asleep, he quietly made his way back into the living room to watch for her. He knew that tonight was going to be restless, for Michaela's dreams were sure to be filled with the nightmares that she had experienced. Sully wanted to be there for her when she woke, afraid and disoriented. Collapsing back in the armchair he'd sat in earlier, Sully sat and gazed down at her sleeping form. "How could anyone commit such awful crimes to such an amazing, caring, and beautiful woman?" Sully wondered to himself, perplexed yet angered by the entire incident. After many minutes had pasted, Sully continued to gaze at her, feeling things he never recalled feeling before. Unable to control himself, Sully got to his feet, and silently stepped next to Michaela, where he leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. Surprised by his own actions, Sully sat back in his chair and did his best to get his mind off the young woman lying in front of him. Eyes drooping, head nodding, Sully soon succumbed to a dream-filled sleep.

Unfortunately, Sully's predictions for a tumultuous night were correct. It hadn't been a half an hour since Sully had dozed off, when he was suddenly awakened to the shrill sound of Michaela's cries for help. Jolted and surprised, Sully leaped from his seat and went to Michaela's side trying to wake her.

_He was coming towards her, with that cold-hearted, menace look in His dark eyes. She continued to back up, until she found herself pushed against the hard, obstructing wall...there was no escape...she was cornered...cornered into the loss of innocence...She felt His steaming breath slapping her face, and His hand touching the side of her breast... "NO!" She screamed...she tried to lift her hands and put a halt His actions, but her arms felt like lead and she could make no such resistance... "Help me! Please! Help me!" She cried, hearing her words echo tauntingly back at her. He started to move His hands roamed freely toward her untouched territory, and she made one last attempt to get away...lifting her arms against their weight, Michaela pushed back at Him...but His hands soon gripped hers and she became immobile. She started at her hands, accepting her inevitable fate...then she noticed something...these weren't His...they were another's...belonging to someone of comfort...She looked up, gasping...her world was spinning...voices echoed calmly, yet incoherently around her...staring up into the face that had once belonged to Him, she saw that His features were distorted and fading...they were being replaced by someone else's...someone she trusted...blinking her eyes, trying to make sense of it all, her spiraling world suddenly came to a stop..._

"Michaela...Michaela, it's ok, it's ok..." Sully tried to reassure a shaking Michaela. He held her in his arms, waiting for her to recognize her surroundings.

Michaela's rapid breaths matched that of her heartbeat. Her head ached and her skin stung, even at Sully's gentle touch. She wanted this all to be over...she wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare and get her life back...why of all the nightmares, did this one have to come true... "Why did this happen to me?" Michaela wanted scream out, but instead she decided to sob into Sully's shoulder. Then a memory from years before suddenly came back to her...it was something her father had said, right after her best friend at the hospital had died of leukemia... "Mike..." He said, "Never ask "why things happen the way they do"...if you try to find the answer to that, you may as well throw your future away and join the hundreds who have spent their entire lives trying to discover the meaning of life...you need to live your life to the fullest, the way you want to live it...because as you've seen here, we only have so much time on this earth..." Her father's soothing words warmed Michaela, and she felt his spirit's presence giving her strength.

Her sobs were slowing as was her speeding pulse, and Sully thought that it might be best to let her loose from his comforting arms...but she felt so relaxed; laying her head in the crook of his neck. Her breath on his skin made his mind wander to things far too inappropriate, especially under the current circumstances.

Michaela felt weak in his arms, and when he moved she was afraid he was leaving her...instead he readjusted him and herself, so that she could lay down, with her head resting on his chest and him sitting behind her, embracing Michaela protectively with his arms around her shoulders. Sleep beckoned her and she obeyed, praying for the nightmares to be over for the night.

Sully felt her drawing breaths slower and her body relaxed into his even more. Lying there, with her in his arms felt so right, so comfortable, as though they were meant by some spiritual destiny to be together. With this feeling fresh in his mind, Sully also drifted off to sleep, and envisioned dreams that drastically differed to Michaela's earlier nightmares.

* * *

"Well someone must be at home…" William thought to himself when he saw the smoke rising from the chimney. While driving in the awful weather last night, his car had broken down. Miffed, he decided to go home early. He was surprised that Sully was at the cabin and not with his…friends.

William parked his car and headed up to the door; opening it he looked in to find a site that astonished and perplexed him. For there lay before him, Michaela, wrapped in Sully's arms, sleeping comfortably on the couch. William felt the blood drain from his face as he gazed upon the couple. Half of him wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the scene in front of him, yet the other half felt anger and spite running through his veins. "When did Michaela start cheating on David? And what the hell made her do it with Sully?" William said scratching his head. He was about to pull Michaela off of Sully and shake her until she came to her senses; when he saw Sully quiver as he began to wake up.

Sully awoke feeling Michaela's soft hair against his cheek. He just wanted to lie there, basking in the feeling of holding her, when he felt the presence of another being in the room. Looking up, he saw William standing with a dumbstruck look on his face. Taking in a shallow breath, Sully thought to himself, "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better doesn't it!" William started towards Sully, opening his mouth, with the visible intentions of screaming at Sully. Sully shushed him and nodded slightly towards the still-sleeping Michaela. William bit his lip and took a deep breath, controlling his anger slightly. "What the hell is going on, Sully? I leave for one night and come home to find my room-mate, sleeping with my best-friend's girlfriend…what are you doing?" William said in a loud whisper.

Sully needed to talk this over with William, calmly and rationally. He knew that William needed to have to be told somehow, and Sully wasn't sure if Michaela could go through that torturing process again. However, Sully wasn't going to tell William without Michaela's permission. Luckily for both of them, Sully's opportunity to ask her came sooner than anticipated.

Michaela heard a whisper echoing from somewhere above her. She lay silently; at first wondering why her body ached as it did…then it all came flooding back to her. She moaned at the pain and memory, as she opened her eyes wearily. When she realized who was still holding her and recognized the person standing in front of her, Michaela somehow summoned up the strength to jump from her place on the couch.

"Michaela! It's ok…" Sully said gently, reaching for her hand to give her some comfort.

William continued to stare back and forth between the two until he couldn't stand it. "Michaela…What in God's name are you doing? Or _have_ you been doing for that matter? What….what…when did you start cheating on David?"

His words echoed in her mind, as anger and sadness engulfed her at the same time, causing her to crumble from within. Sully saw her face pale and her knees buckle at the words. He stood up quickly and caught her before she collapsed. Looking into her eyes, he silently asked for her permission to tell. Michaela understood him, and saw the reasoning behind his question. She nodded and Sully helped her to sit down before he turned back to William.

William, seeing Michaela more clearly, drew a sharp breath at the sight of her. "My God, Michaela…what…" However, Sully stopped him. "Let me explain everything to you…" And Sully did…Michaela stared hopelessly off into space, as Sully's retelling of her abuse brought back images that she had tried so hard to remove from her memory. William stood in front of the hearth, with a dumbstruck look upon his face, trying to grasp what he was being told about his best-friend.

When Sully had finished, he fell down into the arm chair from earlier and waited for William's response. Silence defended the room momentarily before William finally spoke. "This… you…. you actually expect me to believe that my best-friend...who is studying to become a doctor...who will save people's lives...would actually commit a crime like this?"

"Yes, that is exactly what we are asking you to believe." Sully said determinately.

After another moment of silence William continued. "I don't know how Michaela got herself so beat up, but I can't bring myself to believe that David would do such a thing…it just…he's not capable of that!" Sully was about to respond back, when a knock came from the door. William glanced at Michaela and Sully briefly before going to answer it. Michaela's eyes met Sully's, and she wordlessly begged him for guidance.

William opened the door to find none other than the man of their previous discussion. "David! Thank God…maybe you can make some sense of your girlfriend…"

"Michaela is here…" David croaked, not as a question but more of a statement.

"Yes, she's here…but, she's slightly insane...she keeps telling me about you...well...trying to rape her, or something...and you don't even want to know how I found her this morn…David?" William suddenly paused, seeing David's broken nose and half-drunken appearance. "David?" William started again.

"Michaela…I need to see her..."

"Yeah, but you heard what I said…that she told me you'd…" William stopped again when saw the coldness in David's eyes. It was in that coldness that he found the truth, and the truth was what he'd refused to believe. Dazed and confused, he let David walk past him and into the house, while he stared blankly outside trying to comprehend what had happened.

David walked into the living room to find Michaela and Sully sitting and staring at each other. Their reactions to his presence came simultaneously. Sully's hands transformed into fists and his entire body went rigid, as if he were a dog with rabies. Michaela lost all the color in her face and clenched the fabric of the sofa, as her breathing became short and hard.

"What are you doing here?" Sully asked with a menacing tone.

"I came to…Michaela, I'm sorry for what happened…I was drunk, not myself…" David began.

"You're sorry? Tell me David, what are you sorry for?" Michaela said weakly, yet with all the bitterness that ran through her body. Then, before he had time to answer, she stood up to stand her ground. "I don't what to even hear it….and 'not yourself'…oh David…no…being drunk only caused you to let your true feelings come out...it stopped you from controlling them… sorry…no…not this time David….you almost took something from me, that meant so much to me…and, on top of it all…you threatened to kill me, David…How? How am I supposed to forgive and forget? How?" Michaela repeated.

"Please Michaela…I'm sorry...I….I don't know what to say…" David stuttered.

"Then don't say anything, David…I'll...I'll forgive you…but only if you walk out of this place right now…and I never want to see you again…" Michaela said with all the strength she could muster as her voice began to fail her. For a second, Michaela thought David might lung at her again. However, David made a quick glance sideways at Sully, who stood poised, ready to attack if necessary. The two men made brief eye contact, ending when David broke the connection, foreshadowing who would have been victorious had there been a fight. David looked at Michaela pleadingly, and she responded back with a head shake of 'no' and a look of disgust and loathing. In that moment he realized he had completely lost her...Turning on his heals, David started to leave the room. When he reached to door, he glanced back at the young woman he had been fool enough to loose. "I'm leaving for New York next week…I'm dropping out of my position here…" David said solemnly.

Michaela nodded. "Maybe it's for the best...", was all that she said to him before he slipped past a disbelieving William, and headed out of the cabin forever.

A hush claimed the room once more. Sully's knuckles were white from the pressure he exerted onto them. William stared in disbelief at the door David had gone through, as if he expected it to explode or for David to come crashing through it...Michaela continued to breathe unsteadily and she was forced to sit back on the couch to keep from collapsing. Covering her face with her hands, as if she was trying to block out the rest of the world from her view, Michaela felt silent tears drop from her eyes and spread to her fingers. Forgiving him was the hardest thing she'd ever done; and deep down she felt that she may have lied partially.

Finally detaching his eyes from the door, William looked into the living room, avoiding Michaela's eyes. "I...er...I'm gonna...just...I need a walk..." William stuttered before turning and leaving though the same door David had previously. Michaela and Sully were left alone again, lost in their own thoughts.

After a few tense moments, Sully stood, still rigid from David's presence, and spoke roughly. "Do want anything to eat?" Michaela glanced up at him, surprised by his tone and the slight absurdity of his question. His eyes told it all...his was filled with anger towards David, and it was all he could do to not run after him and kill him...breakfast seemed to be a good way to busy himself.

"May I have some tea, please?" Michaela's voice sounded hoarse from crying last night.

It was Michaela's voice that brought Sully back from his anger, and he looked down upon her. She was the strongest and bravest human he'd ever met; how she was able to survive what she had, and then to encounter the attacker again, blew his mind.

"Actually, I'm really don't need anything...Sully, honestly...can you just take me home...you've been such a comfort...so wonderful...I needed that last night...but now, I need to go home...I need to..." Michaela cut off, afraid Sully would think that she didn't appreciate what he'd done for her, afraid he'd think she wanted to get a way from him.

"Of course Michaela...I'll go get my keys, one second..." Sully turned and left the room to get his keys. Meanwhile, Michaela walked carefully to the bathroom, changing back into now-partially-dry clothes; which she'd laid in the tub the night before, to drain out.

The drive to her apartment was quiet...no words needed to be exchanged, for both knew what the other was feeling and thinking. As Sully put his car into 'park', he started to get out, when suddenly Michaela stopped him. "Sully, I'll be fine...you don't need to walk me up..."

Sully glanced at her with a puzzled look, and was about to ensure her that he wanted to take her up himself; however, he saw a look in her gaze, that told him she wanted to go up by herself. Without knowing or questioning the reason, Sully nodded. "If you're sure...I promise you that it would be no trouble at all..."

"No, thank you...truly Sully...I want to just go up alone, I'm not even sure why..." Michaela stared at her lap, as tears she thought were long dried-up, came forth again into her contrastingly- colored eyes. "Sully...I need you to know...just...thank you...thank you…I can't tell you how grateful I am that you came for me...and then that you actually helped me through, probably the hardest ordeal I've ever experienced...Sully...I probably wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you...I may not even be alive..." Michaela trailed off.

"No...Michaela, you're the strongest woman, or even person I've ever met...you would have made it on your own just fine with out me...but I was glad to be of assistance...anything, anytime, Michaela, I'll come when ever you need me..."Sully cut off and looked down at his hands.

Michaela couldn't believe how lucky she was. Sully was the most kind, considerate, and patient man she'd ever met. She felt blessed just knowing him, let alone having him come out in the dead of night to rescue her. She smiled slightly, and raised her hand to his face, turning his head gently towards her, and leaning in to give him a small kiss on the cheek. Blushing slightly, Michaela moved back. "Thank you, Sully." Michaela unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door, in a bit of a rush. Getting out slowly but steadily, Michaela smiled again at Sully and waved a bit before turning and carefully carrying herself across the snow blazed landscape to her front door.

Sully sat, paralyzed, trying to recuperate from the unexpected kiss from Michaela. Raising his finger tips to his cheek, he touched the place Michaela had kissed, as if testing to see if it was real. His cheek tingled slightly and felt warm. "What is it about that woman...that makes my head spin?" Sully asked himself, before shifting into reverse and exiting the drive-way. What he didn't know, was that Michaela was asking herself a very similar question, concerning him.


	7. Chapter 7: Somebody Bends Unexpectedly

**_Chapter 7: Then Somebody Bends Unexpectedly_**

Closing the door behind her, Michaela leaned against it, regaining some strength while thoughts and feelings overwhelmed her. "Why do I feel this way? It was a sincere kiss on the cheek...yet, I'm all jittery and excited...after all my experiences how can I be feeling so...so...happy? No, happy doesn't even begin to describe this emotion...perhaps...perhaps I'm in lo–...oh don't be so ridiculous Michaela...in love, ha...ha...hmm..." Michaela's thoughts trailed to the remembrance of waking up in Sully's arms...closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself, she tried to relive the moment. But the moment was but a memory, left off at Sully and William's cabin; and nothing except the real thing would ever feel the same.

Glancing about at the apartment room, Michaela found that nothing had changed since she had departed from it last night. It wasn't as if anything should have different; however, Michaela had been through so many life-altering experiences in the past twelve hours, that coming home to a place that remained unchanged made her feel inapposite. "How can one deal with feeling out of place in their own home?" Michaela asked herself while letting out a slight moan.

Dorothy, who had heard Michaela's guttural, emerged from her bedroom and stopped dead at the sight of Michaela. Mouth ajar and face slightly paled, Dorothy cautiously walked towards Michaela, who remained by the door, not sure of how to handle the ensuing situation. Dorothy stopped about five feet in front of Michaela, keeping the distance between them out of her own fear. Gapping continuously at Michaela, Dorothy tried to string coherent words together. "Michaela...who...what...where did...what happened?"

Michaela looked down at her feet, as a scolded child might. "Dorothy...he...well...things didn't go as planned...David...he...he was drunk...and...oh, Dorothy, you were right..." Michaela bursted out in a fresh explosion of tears.

Dorothy made the few large strides to hold her, as Michaela sank down onto the floor. "What happened, Michaela? What do you mean I was right?"

Michaela looked up into Dorothy's eyes, knowing that once again, she was going to have to retell her tale of the night's horrifying events. "Dorothy...David...he...he tried to...he tried to rape me..." Dead silence engulfed the room and Dorothy's face paled even more.

The night was relived and words were exchanged as Michaela told, once again, the happenings of the previous night. Dorothy remained silent, except for a few encouraging words for Michaela to continue, as she sat, slowly grasping the news.

Michaela felt numb to the pain as she told Dorothy of her nightmare. It seemed like a tale or story that someone kept retelling; not even real anymore. But Michaela knew it was real deep down. She knew that it wasn't going away, and that it would never be forgotten to her or those close to her. Even if she tried to forget, her friends would remember. She feared that they would always be cautious around her, afraid to let her see any other evil that the world held in store. But hadn't she lived through more evil; hadn't she faced it and survived? Shouldn't she be the strong one who protected her friends?

Michaela broke off as she finished the retelling of her memories; and random thoughts and uncertainties continued to circle in her mind, making her dizzy with confusion and angst. Dorothy sat there, dumbstruck, uncertain of what was to come or how to handle what had already happened. "So, David is...David, he's gone, right?"

Michaela looked up into Dorothy's paled face and nodded slightly. "Yes, at least he said he was leaving...honestly, I don't care where he goes, as long as I never have to see him again."

Dorothy nodded and broke the gaze between the two of them. "Yes, I completely understand. I...I don't really know what to say..."

"Then please, don't say anything at all...I really...I just want to move on. I want to go back to work after break and have nobody know what happened. Please, I know that you'll say that this is unhealthy to pretend that it didn't happen, believe me that's not what I'm doing...I'll live with those memories the rest of my life, but I don't need stranger's sympathy reminding me constantly of those torturous memories. I want to live, I want to be happy again...and I know that many more tears will be shed for tonight. But I need to move on...and I'll need your help...please, don't treat me like a porcelain doll, just please be there, don't afraid of me...that's what William is right now...I could see it in his eyes before he left. He refused to even look at me. Please look at me..." Michaela cried to Dorothy who had long ago adverted her eyes from Michaela's pleading gaze. "Please Dorothy, don't shut me out...I'm not a monster, I just need a friend, to talk to...you always told me you'd be there, to talk...I need you now."

Dorothy took a deep breath, preparing herself for her own plunge. A single tear escaped her sad eyes as she brought her gaze up to meet Michaela's. When gazes connected, a familiar pain could be seen in each other; and Michaela knew in that moment, that there was something that she didn't know about Dorothy.

"I know what you are feeling...I know the pain, the suffering...the need to get out, the desire to run. To run away from all that reminds us of what was and the want of a friend to help, to listen...that's...that's how I met Abby, Sully's late wife. She was there, when a person hurt me like I never thought I could be hurt. She listened and comforted when no one else would. When everyone else was too afraid to get involved. When everyone else was afraid that the same pain and fear would be contagious to them if they helped me. I know...I know what you feel...because the same thing happened to me...only, I wasn't lucky, I wasn't strong. I didn't get away."

Now it was Michaela's turn to sit in perplexity. Tears rolled unchecked down her cheeks, as the realization of Dorothy's past claimed her and triggered more emotions to come forth. "Please, go on." Michaela encouraged through her tears.

"Martin...He was my fiancé, we met in highschool...he was on the football team and every girl wanted to be his, for some reason he chose me...he was sweet. But he was always under a lot of pressure from his team and his family...he liked to drink a lot, to get away from the stresses of his life. One night, he got drunk and he hit me. I was going to break up with him, but he came back the next day with flowers and asked me to marry him. I guess I was so shocked and so happy, that I forgot about the incident, figuring it wouldn't happen again. That is, until one night...in college, he played for the football team...it was a big game I guess...and we lost...he blamed himself and went out and got drunk. I tried to calm him down and talk to him...but he didn't want to talk. That night...he lost control...and well...you know the rest." Dorothy trailed off as tears renewed themselves in her eyes.

Michaela stared down at her lap, comforted in knowing that she was not alone, yet horrified in finding that others had been through the same terrors as she had. She reached out to Dorothy and the two embraced, as tears fell and flowed into each other becoming one memory and one fear. Emotions gave way as friendship stepped up to a new level. They sat there for an unknown length of time, until sore muscles woke them from their revery. The two separated, giving a half smile of new understanding to each other.

Standing up together, Dorothy gave Michaela a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "Now, let's see what we can do about covering up these bruises."

Michaela had never been so thankful for the creation of make-up. Luckily, no bones were actually broken, so she was able to get away with smearing foundation over the scratches and bruises without many people's acknowledgment of her injuries. Over the next weeks, the exterior injuries began to fade, and the fear and hurt inside seemed to subside as life moved on. David, it seemed, had disappeared with out a trace; causing Michaela to relax, yet at the same time, worry for his possible return. Her nightmares lessened as days progressed; and her friendship with Dorothy grew with each passing day.

William had not spoken to her since the morning David had left; and although Michaela was hurt by his isolation from her, she allowed William his space to sort out the events that had come to pass. Much to her surprise and delight, Sully showed up occasionally to pick her up from work or just to have lunch with her. They did not speak about Michaela's infamous night, but reassuring thoughts were passed to each other through looks and glances. With Christmas quickly approaching, Michaela found working at the hospital more and more taxing, and Sully's meetings were much appreciated.

* * *

It was a blustery, winter night when Michaela finally finished her work at the Children's hospital on Christmas Eve. The sharp wind nipped at her exposed flesh and caused Michaela to shiver beneath her winter coat. Wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to stay warm, Michaela scanned the road for Dorothy's awaiting car. Suddenly, none other than Sully's car pulled up in front of Michaela as the window rolled down. 

"Have any plans tonight?" Sully asked while Michaela peeked her head through the window.

Michaela smiled and shrugged. "Sleep...but other than that..."

Sully smiled and unlocked the passenger door, letting Michaela inside the car. "Well, if your not too tired, do you think you could go somewhere with me?"

Honestly, Michaela was exhausted; but she noticed a gleam in Sully's eyes that she had only seen glimmer on rare occasion, and she knew that it was something special. "Of course Sully, I'd love to. May I ask where?"

Sully's smile broadened as he started to drive towards the mountains. "Sure ya can ask...but that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell ya."

Curiosity claimed Michaela. "Sully! Where are we going?"

Sully only smiled and continued to stare straight ahead. "It's a surprise...ya wouldn't know where it was, even if I told ya."

Michaela rolled her eyes, excitement and anticipation running through her veins. This dimmed however, when they pulled up into the driveway of Sully and William's cabin, where clearly William had thrown a Christmas bash. "Sully...I actually do know of this place."

Sully shook his head and got out of the car, as Michaela mirrored his actions. "We just have to stop here to get He'amâhtamehnêstse."

"Whom?" Michaela asked, completely puzzled.

"It means Walks Above, it's the name of the horse that I ride." Sully explained as the made their way behind the cabin to a small alcove, where they found a horse grazing the wild grass beneath the fallen snow in a wooden corral. Sully grabbed the horse's mane as he swung his leg around its back. Once fully mounted, he reached down to Michaela, to help her up. Michaela was hesitant at first, for while she trusted Sully, her days on horses had not turned out for the better so far; and this deep down, actually frightened her slightly. Glancing around briefly, Michaela summed up the courage and strength, clasped her hand with Sully's, and swung up onto the horse. "Remember to hang on..." Sully whispered behind him as they took off into the night.

Michaela gripped Sully's leather jacket tightly with her fists, and she was soon able to acclimate herself with the movements of the horse. What she could not adjust to, was the intense feeling that pumped in her heart due to the closeness of Sully. Her heart raced as they flew through the trees and Michaela could not make reason for the overpowering feeling that sent shivers down her spine.

As Michaela was finally able to put her mind on other matters, they slowed to a halt in, what appeared to be, the middle of a forest. Sully dismounted and reached up for Michaela. Michaela slid off the horse into Sully's arms. Sully was clearly nervous about something, because he immediately removed his hands from Michaela once she was safely on the ground, as if he was afraid to be in contact with her too long.

Michaela's inquiries on the matter were soon disregarded, when Sully quickly grabbed her hand and began to pull her up the slope. Michaela followed Sully closely up the hill towards, what appeared to be, a clearing at the top. "Please Sully, where are we going?"

"It's just beyond this hill..." Sully responded over his shoulder, and Michaela could hear the excitement and nervousness that was evident in his voice. As they reached the top of their climb, Michaela's anticipation was at an all time high, but nothing could prepare her for the sight that would be bestowed upon her eyes next.

Her breath caught as she looked at her surroundings. They stood at the edge of a ridge, looking down into a snow glazed valley. Pines glistened white and sparkled with the light emitted from the constellations, beaming overhead. Mountains ranged in the near background, and small, scintillant, lake could be seen father down the valley. The vision was breathtakingly stunning. Words were lost to Michaela (which for her was a big deal).

"I know you've been working real hard at the hospital...puttin' everyone ahead of yourself...you've been through a lot and you've really not taken much time for yourself...I just wanted to bring ya here...I guess I thought it might help ya...I come here sometimes to think..." Sully trailed off.

Tears sparkled in Michaela's eyes as she continued to gaze around at the gorgeous site to behold. No one had ever been so kind to her, no one had ever cared to think about how she was feeling. "Oh Sully...it's...it's...I can't even describe it...it's heavenly...thank you, thank you so much...I don't know what to say!"

She turned to face Sully, and instead turned into him. Eyes caught and breaths stopped. Michaela's mind told her to back up, but her heart wanted to lean forward. Her heart was racing as she stared into those perfectly-blue oceans of eyes. Michaela's legs were glued to the ground and she could only lean one way or the other. Whether laws of gravity be the cause or destiny itself, Michaela found that it was easier to lean forward. She chose to follow her heart.

As she closed her eyes, she felt him lean in at the exact moment she chose to. She could feel his slow, methodical breath on her rosy lips, and she readied her body to plummet. Lips first skimmed lips, then both pressed more firmly together. Electric charges rippled down Michaela's spine as she felt his lips brush gently on hers. Ever so softly, she felt Sully deepen the kiss, slipping his hands to her waist and the back of her neck, while his tongue asked for admittance to her lips. At first, Michaela was at lost for what to do. Never before had she allowed David to kiss her like this; yet she did not find the fear that racked in her heart now as she had with David. Slowly, instincts finally kicked in and Michaela opened up to Sully, revealing a whole new side of the lady doctor.

It was if a flower had bloomed in all of its glory. A burst of love and joy, erupting over the valley and intensifying the beauty that it already held.

Suddenly, Sully stiffened and removed his hands from Michaela, while breaking apart the kiss. Michaela's eyes shot open at the shattered end, wondering what had happened. She quickly looked up into Sully's eyes. What earlier had held joy and excitement, now held pain and torture beyond anything she had ever seen in those aqua orbs. Tears of confusion and fear rose in Michaela, as she watched the man she knew she loved, turn away from her and slip off into the shadows of darkness.


	8. Chapter 8: Finding You Could Change

**Chapter 8: Finding You Could Change**

_What have I done? Why was I so stupid? _Sully walked briskly through the winding trees, kicking at stones and sticks that found themselves in his path. Pain and anguish pushed him onward towards an indefinable destination. He dared not to look back, for fear of seeing **her** beautiful face smiling and welcoming him back; back towards what his heart ached for, yet also what his heart ached against. _I can not love **her**...the last time I loved another, I caused them an early death...I can't do that to **her **as well..._"I wont." Sully screamed into the darkness of the night as he fell down to his knees and kneeled on the forest floor. Memories of his painful past tangled with pictures of **her** face, which slowly morphed into one image, where **she **lay dying in that car.

* * *

Alone. She was alone, physically and emotionally. The tears would not ebb, instead they would fall faster and bigger with every attempt she took at stopping them_. "He wouldn't leave me, not like this! He just wouldn't do that...right?" _Michaela whispered to herself, causing a cloud of vaporization to form and flow out from her mouth. Fear nipped at her, like the bitting wind and frigid air which smothered Michaela. She was confused and lost with her feelings for Sully already; and now he had walked away, leaving her even more flummoxed, in addition to being embarrassed and hurt. 

Her heart begged for her to run after him and talk out their confusions and fears. But Michaela's thoughts dwelled on the fact that this entire situation had been caused by the following of her heart. She was stuck. Michaela could not force herself to run to him, nor could she find her way home. It was as if tar had formed around her legs and she could go nowhere, nor do anything.

Wind scorched her rosy cheeks as it whipped around her stiff body; and Michaela could feel the descent in the temperature as time progressed. She knew that for their own health, both Sully and her had to get to somewhere warm before they got sick or worse from the intense elements of nature. Mustering up her courage and strength, Michaela began to walk in the direction Sully had gone. Unfortunately, Michaela knew nothing of tracking nor did she know anything about the area. She had set off in a direction that was unbeknownst to anyone, including herself.

* * *

The extreme drop in temperature went unnoticed to Sully, as he sat in the snow and stared at the bark of the tree, not really seeing it. _Why did this have to happen? Why did Michaela have to be pulled into this torture? She doesn't deserve this...she doesn't need me, and I'm surely not worthy of her...I'll never be there for her, like she needs me to be; I've done nothing but disappoint and lose everyone who ever counted on me...I can't let that happen to her as well._

Sully gazed up at the heavens longingly. Seeing the millions of stars glittering mockingly at him, reminded Sully of the gleam of brilliance that beamed in Michaela's eyes when she first saw the valley. Sully closed his eyes to the taunting sky and brought his gaze back down to his close surroundings. A gelid breeze wound through the trees, causing them to tremble to their roots. The wind smacked Sully square in the face, jolting him from his revery. A shiver went down his spine when he noticed how ungodly cold it was now.

_Oh God...Michaela, I left you..._ Sully rose quickly from knees and sprinted off in the direction from whence he came. He climbed the hill up towards the ridge as quickly as his legs could trek through the foot of snow which lay on the ground. Fear ran through his veins when he reached the top finding no Michaela. Sully ran back to where he had left Walks Above, but she was not there either. His eyes scanned through the trees in hopes of finding her close by, waiting for him. But his luck was not as grand as his desires. Carefully, Sully searched the ground for a trace of Michaela and her whereabouts. Finally, he found the imprint of her footprints in the snow, and he let them be his guide to her.

Fear for her safety overwhelmed him and he thought only of getting to her on time. He would not let his negligence be the cause of another's death again; especially not Michaela's. Heart pounding from exertion as well as angst, Sully forced himself to slow down and catch his breath for a second. Breathing heavily, he scanned the area for any sign of Michaela. Suddenly, he did a double take. There was something lying in the snow, under a white-barked tree. Sully dashed over to it, knowing in his heart what it was; but he could only hope for better fortune than what his anticipations foretold. He kneeled beside the small figure, and with trembling hands, he pushed a bit of fabric away to see the face which he both hoped and dreaded for.

The face was as pale as the snow that fell around it, and the heat that once put a rosy glint in the cheeks was fading fast. The face was indeed Michaela's, cold and still. Sully quickly unbuttoned his jacket then took Michaela out of hers. Taking her into his arms, Sully held Michaela close to his chest, giving up his own body heat for her, and lay her coat on the side of her that still lay exposed.

Sully knew he needed to get her warm quickly, but not too quickly. Otherwise, she could go into shock or her skin tissue might be forever scarred. Bundling her in his arms, Sully stood and began to walk in the opposite direction he had come from. There wasn't enough time to get her back to his home; but he knew of a small cabin just beyond the ridge. The cabin had not been occupied for a few years now, but it was a blessing to Sully and Michaela. As he turned the bend, Sully saw the cabin and memories flashed through his mind instantly at the site. But he pushed those out of his mind for the moment, and all his concentration was put back on Michaela.

Sully kicked the door open with his foot and entered the rustic, one-room cabin. The stale smell of dust and wood smothered him as he walked over to the old cot, which stood in the far corner beside the small fireplace, and placed Michaela gently on it. Briskly, Sully grabbed a few left over logs from the previous occupant, and lay them in the hearth while striking a stray match on a splint. Once flames began to flare from the logs, Sully turned back to Michaela..

Grabbing an extra blanket at the foot of the bed, Sully wrapped Michaela, coats and all, with the blanket. Once he was certain that she was as comfortable as possible, Sully stood and walked across the creaking, wooden floorboards to a distressed cupboard. There he found a small pot, that he could use to heat water with, as well as some old rags and bits of cloth. Stepping outside for but a moment, Sully scooped some snow up with the pot. Before heading back inside, he glanced up at the suddenly ominous looking sky. It appeared that the wind, which was still picking up speed, had brought along with it a rather fierce snow storm, which Sully estimated would arrive within the next ten minutes. Sighing heavily, Sully carried the snow filled pot inside and over to the fireplace, where he placed the pot beside the dancing flames.

For a moment, Sully just stared at Michaela, before he began the task of re-warming her. He knew that he had to act quickly without hesitation; however, he was still so afraid of letting her down, or worse losing her. Sully shut his eyes firmly, grasping his remaining courage, then he opened them determinately and began the procedure. Carefully and gently, Sully removed the blanket and coats from Michaela's body, as well as any exterior clothing, leaving Michaela in her camisole and jeans.

Sully lay his hand on her forehead; she felt slightly warmer than before, but her core temperature was still obviously under what it needed to be. He snatched one of the rags and dipped it into the warm water that had formed in the once snow filled pot. After wringing the cloth out he brought it carefully to Michaela's arm, where he began to softly caress her cold skin with the warmth of the cloth.

* * *

Darkness and chills swirled in her mind. She felt as if she was falling and spiraling out of control down a cliff to her death. She wanted to scream out, but her muscles ached from the cold, and she didn't have the strength to move. Oddly enough, Michaela suddenly felt a warm, trickling, feeling, massaging her skin. _What is happening to me? Oh...where am I..._ Michaela's brain raked her memories, but she had no recollection of what had happened to her._ Sully...oh, where is Sully?_ Her heart called out. Then her diminutive amnesia disappeared and she remembered the nights events. _The kiss..._

Michaela mustered her energy as she moaned. "Sully..."

Sully nearly fell into the fireplace when he heard Michaela utter his name. "Michaela...Michaela stay with me...you're ok...you're gonna be fine...just don't leave me ok?"

Michaela squinted into brightness of the room and found Sully's silhouette kneeling before her, before muttering the words of her broken heart. "You...you left me..."

A lump formed in Sully's throat when he heard the words slip from her mouth. In his attempt to protect her from being hurt, Sully had done nothing but caused Michaela pain. Sully realized that the only person he was protecting was himself, and he knew what he had to now. The time had come for change. "I know Michaela...I'm so, so sorry...I wasn't thinking...I tried to protect ya from myself...but it was selfish of me ta leave ya." Sully clasped her cool, delicate, hand in his own, and stared into the vastness of her eyes, deep into her soul. "Michaela...I can't offer ya much, but I will promise ya one thing...I'll never leave ya...ever again..."

His words spoke to her soul and the trust and truth in his eyes spoke volumes to her heart. Weak and stiff from the cold that had not yet ebbed from her body, Michaela smiled and nodded slightly. "I know, Sully."

Sully brought his hand up to lightly caress her face, and he knew that now was the time to tell her. He needed to move on. He needed to let his heart be free from the chains of the past that oppressed it. "Michaela...there's one more thing I've gotta tell ya...when I kissed ya...I...I didn't expect it to happen or anything...but...God, Michaela...I wanted it. I don't know how to tell ya how I feel right now, I've never been one for words...but..." Sully shook his head trying to think of how to go about saying something that was so simple, yet so complicated.

Michaela saw the frustration in the features of his face, and she knew what was coming. Tears found their way back to her eyes; only this time they were put there by a very different emotion. Michaela lightly squeezed Sully's hand in reassurance.

Sully took a deep breath before the plunge, and stared into her hazel and auburn streaked eyes. "Michaela...I...I love you."

Silence ensued as the word echoed in her soul and her heart did a full out flip inside of her chest. Michaela found it hard to breath, for it felt as if something was compressing her chest and lungs. But her soul told her that she needed to speak, she needed to reply to his testimony with her own. Tears swelled and overflowed in her eyes, and a smile broadened on her joyous face. "Sully...I love you too."

Testimonies met, as did souls and hearts; and lips came crashing together in celebration of the newly admitted love. Passion consumed both beings, as soul mates found one another. But the kiss was cut short, when Michaela fell back onto the cot, weak from the small exertion she had put out. She smiled slightly at Sully before she closed her eyes and gave in to the parlous sleep that tempted her so.

Sully felt her slip away from him, and he looked at her bewildered. It wasn't until he saw her eyes cloud over and sink into a deep sleep that he realized what was happening. He was losing her. "NO MICHAELA! DON"T LEAVE ME!" Once more, silence deafened the room; and Sully's world was lost to him, as fear for his loved one mounted.


	9. Chapter 9: True as it Can Be

**Chapter Nine: True As It Can Be**

Wind and snow pounded at the door, as fear and terror pounded at his heart. Sully continued endlessly to heat the water and rub it tenderly across Michaela's cool skin, but as time progressed and Michaela did not appear to improve at all, he began to realize that he was at a loss of what to do next. What he really needed was a heat compress and IV bags of saline, neither of which could be accounted for in the rustic cabin. Sully felt helpless as he sat and watched his new found love slip from his grasp.

Sully placed the warm cloth into the bowl and held Michaela's hand as he stared at her porcelain face. "Don't leave me, Michaela, not now . . . not after everything . . . everything that just happened. I love ya, Michaela . . . I can't lose ya now . . . especially on my account . . . hold on . . . God, please, hold on . . . " Sully trailed off as a single tear escaped his oceanic eyes and his gaze adverted toward the dancing flames, while his hand still held Michaela's. Then, ever-so-slightly, Sully felt a single, gentle, pulse on his hand. His eyes shot up to Michaela and his heart leapt.

Everything swirled and spiraled and blurred and merged until she was sure she would go blind from the confusion of it all. She felt as if the very air she breathed was burning her and the sound of a fire crackling in the distance caused fear to lurk through her body. Finally fed up with the confusing arrays of shapes and echoing sounds that surrounded her, Michaela began to fight for consciousness, allowing her eyes to flutter open and squint into the brightness of the room. Images were still blurry and Michaela strained her eyes even harder to sharpen the quality of her vision. Through her concentration, the swirling of the world began to decelerate, and she found a familiar face staring joyfully back at her. "Sully . . . Sully, oh where are we?" Michaela strained.

Sully rubbed Michaela's hand with his thumb as he stared at her weak, yet puzzled complexions. "We're still at the cabin . . . looks like we're gonna have to stay here for the night . . . it's a blizzard out there." Sully said, nodding toward the door.

Michaela continued to stare blankly at Sully, and shook her head slightly. "What . . . what cabin . . . yours and . . . and Williams . . . ?"

Sully shook his head and grasped Michaela's hand a bit more firmly, yet gently. "No . . . no Michaela, remember . . . I brought ya here, you were . . . well, still are in the stages of hypothermia . . . and ya woke up . . . and . . . and . . . " But Sully did not continue when he saw the complete look of confusion etched across Michaela's face and felt her tense up once she felt the connection between her hand and his. "Don't . . . don't ya remember?" Sully questioned as a look of worry and cerebration passed across his own face.

Michaela looked away from Sully, beating her brain inside, trying to remember exactly what had happened that would have caused Sully to panic at her loss of memory. "I...I don't . . . I remember going into the woods with you . . . on Walks Above . . . " Michaela said slowly as vague thoughts slowly returned to her, and Sully visually relaxed as she began to remember. "...and I remember climbing . . . climbing up to . . . to . . . a ridge . . . oh, the valley . . . I remember the valley . . . oh it was so beautiful, Sully!" Michaela exclaimed, but her smile faded when she noticed Sully's face continued to be full of anticipation; as if there was something more to be remembered. Michaela shook her head, and frowned. "...and that's . . . that's it . . . I, I can't remember anymore . . . it's all darkness . . . black . . . Sully . . . what, what happened? Did I faint?"

Sully stared at Michaela in a state of complete shock. _She doesn't remember it . . . she doesn't remember the kiss, or . . . our confessions . . . What do I do?_ Sully gazed off past Michaela's face, into a daze, trying to contemplate the situation.

Michaela began to worry all the more when she witnessed Sully's reaction to her confused words. "Sully? Please, tell me . . . what happened?"

Sully stared back into her amber and green speckled eyes, full of concern and discombobulation. He knew then that he couldn't tell her what had happen, what had been said. It wasn't something that you would tell like a fairytale to a small child. It was something that you told one another when the moment was right, when the pieces fit. The pieces had fit, but they were snapped apart by the unexpected turn of events, and Sully immediately feared that their relationship was not meant to be so.

"Sully! What is wrong?" Michaela croaked, snapping Sully out of his revery.

"Nothing, nothing happened Michaela . . . ya just, woke up earlier . . . thought ya might remember it. Ya seemed pretty alert then . . . " Sully adverted his eyes as he lied to the woman he loved. The woman who knew nothing of that confessed love.

"Oh..." Michaela paused, puzzling over something. "Sully, what exactly was I waking up from?"

_Oh how the lies keep piling higher and higher._ Sully thought to himself, as he closed his eyes and prayed to the Spirits for their strength and guidance. "I...I... left, to go get...Walks Above...um...I guess I was gone longer than I thought...you uh...went out to find me and got yourself turned around...when I found ya, you had already entered into the profound stage of hypothermia...brought ya here, been trying to get ya warmed-up with some warm water..." Sully now adverted his eyes at the bowl, searching for anything to look at besides Michaela.

Michaela bit her lip slightly. She could just tell that something wasn't right, that Sully wasn't telling her the truth or at least the whole truth. Had she not felt so weak, she would have questioned Sully further, but she felt her body begging for rest. "Oh...ok...I...I think I'm going to go back to sleep..."

This threw Sully for a loop. "Wait a minute...shouldn't ya stay awake, so ya don't fall unconscious again?"

Michaela tiredly shook her head and relaxed into the softness of the pillows. "No...no, it's not that kind of sleep, you needn't worry...I'll be fine Sully...thank you..." Michaela whispered as she succumbed to the taunting sleep that overwhelmed her.

Sully just kneeled there and stared at Michaela's sleeping form. _Did I do the right thing, by not telling her? What else could I have done? But what the heck am I suppose to do now...how do I handle this situation..._ Sully had felt his love for Michaela deepen even more so after he had told her how he felt, and this made it so hard to even understand or grasp what had happened. It was as if he had gained and lost everything in one day, leaving him hollow and empty. He was without the comfort of his soul-mate, his soul-mate who was unknowing of even having such a partner.

As the wind continued to howl outside, Sully found himself actually thinking that it would have been better if they had never said it at all...perhaps the pain of losing and forgetting it was actually worse than never hearing it said. Luckily deep in his heart he knew these feelings not to be true, but he couldn't get rid of such thoughts as his head nodded onto the side of the cot, by Michaela's hand, and Sully also allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep.

Michaela sat up abruptly, with a lingering, cool sweat blanketing her body. As Michaela rose to the seated position, the rough movements of her body as well as the her heavy breathing awoke Sully instantly; and he, likewise, shot up as well. "Michaela...hey, it's ok...what happened?" Sully said gently as he placed his hand, comfortingly, on Michaela's shaking shoulder. At the initial contact, Michael's eyes leapt up to meets Sully's and, much to Sully's surprise, Michaela threw her arms around his neck and began to cry into his shoulder. "Hey, hey, what's wrong? Shh, it's ok...come on tell me what's wrong." Sully said, as he gently stroked her back.

Michaela tried to continue the tears as she spoke of her nightmare. "It was so real...I could feel the snow crunching under my feet as I walked...I was twisting and turning around trees, trying to find...you...I was trying to find you, but you were gone, and I was lost...and finally, I was so tired and cold, my body...it just collapsed from underneath me, and I just lay there, freezing. I was so scared...not just for me, oh God Sully I couldn't find you, and something kept telling me that there was something wrong...for you I mean... I just...I was scared, I'll admit it!"

Sully pulled back from Michaela as her story went along. He wanted so badly to believe that his was actually her memory coming back to her, but part of him kept telling him not to get his hopes up. "Hey, it's ok...I'm here now...I wont leave you...I promise." Sully let her react to the words he had just said, hoping and praying that something would spark a chord. But Michaela just smiled slightly and nodded leaning back into the pillow and cot.

The wind had stopped rampaging the cabin hours before and Sully decided to go see what the damage was. A white, glittering, sheet blanketed the surrounding forest. The storm had dumped about two feet of snow on the existing foot; yet with the fronts passing, the sun was visible between the parting clouds and the temperature slowly began to rise beneath the shining sun. Everything seemed so peaceful outside, yet Sully could not fathom how to handle the situation ensuing inside.

Sully turned back into the cabin to find an uncertain Michaela, attempting to stand from the cot. No sooner had she successfully balanced herself on her two, wobbling limbs; her weakened knees buckled and collapsed from underneath her. Sully, who had foreseen the potential accident, caught Michaela in mid-fall.

Slightly embarrassed and self conscious, Michaela blushed and smiled a bit, before looking up into Sully's sapphire eyes, as he held her for a moment. Suddenly her smile faded and formed to make a frown.

"What...what is it, Michaela?" Sully asked, confused by her quick change in attitude.

Michaela's mouth gabbed a few times before she was able to find the words. "I...I remember...I don't know...I remember you holding me...earlier last night...but I don't...was I awake or even conscious when you carried me here?"

Sully knew she had not been awake at all during the short journey to the abandoned cabin. "No...no, you were unconscious the entire time..."

Michaela's forehead creased in puzzlement, then relaxed. "It must have been déjà vu the I suppose...I mean...you never have...oh never mind...I'm just so confused..." Michaela stuttered out, blushing and breaking ye contact with Sully.

Sully nodded knowingly, while he placed Michaela back onto the cot. "It's perfectly fine Michaela...but...what, what should we so I mean, your condition...it's..."

Michaela shook her head, trying to forget how much it throbbed and concentrate on the matter at hand. "Well, if you can find your horse– I mean, Walks Above...I do need to het to the hospital, so they can just make sure that no permanent damage is done...don't worry, I...I really feel perfectly fine now..." Michaela lied as much to him as to herself, and she adverted her eyes so that he would not see the deceitfulness evident in her eyes.

But Sully did not need to even see her eyes to know that she was lying. "No, I don't want to leave ya like that." Sully said, as memories of his promise made to Michaela the previous night replayed in his mind over and over again. Sully was a man of his word, and it didn't matter whether she remembered the promise or not.

Michaela smiled slightly at Sully's concern, as his words of 'not leaving her' played tricks on her mind. "I'm fine Sully, and staying here isn't doing any good for me. I'll be fine for a few moments on my own. I mean, it's not like I'm suffering from amnesia or anything, I'm merely forgetting a scene that took place when I was probably only semi-conscious." Michaela attempted to ensure Sully as well as herself, while confusing images popped illogically into her mind.

Unfortunately, Michaela's words of reassurance, were nothing of the sort to Sully. He was lost, not knowing what to do or say. He decided that it was best to do as Michaela had suggested. Nodding his head, Sully refused to meet Michaela's eyes as he reached for his jacket. "I'll be right back then...keep, keep on resting" Sully said as he headed out the door.

His response was almost like a slap in the face to Michaela. _Something happened...something he wont tell me...but what? Why did I have to forget something that seems so important to Sully?_ Michaela thought to herself. Closing her eyes to her surroundings, Michaela tried to organize the scattered thoughts and snip-its of memories that raced through her mind.

_Ok...the valley...it was beautiful, snow covered, bliss...then, then Sully said...oh he told me he brought me there...because...because I was working hard and hadn't given enough time for myself...yes that was it...and then...I...I..._ Suddenly Michaela's eyes grew wider that quarters, as images soon took their place back into her memory. _Oh my God...the...the kiss...oh how could I forget such a thing...why didn't Sully say something...wait...he lied to me...but...I don't understand..._ And the a instant realization overwhelmed her, as she felt the extent of Sully's love for her. _He didn't want to scare me...he didn't want to hurt me or appear too forward..._ "Oh this must be awful for him...I have to see him, he has to know." Michaela thought out-loud as she determinately got out of bed.

Sully walked through the woods, not really thinking about where he was going, just letting his feet take him where they wished. Luckily, his feet must of known what they were doing, because after no more than five minutes of walking, Sully found Walks Above, laying under a large evergreen tree. Sully walked towards the horse, thoughts racing a million miles a minute, as Walks Above got to her feet. Sully mounted absentmindedly and steered the horse back the cabin as his eyes stared blankly straight ahead.

His gut and his mind told him that he deserved every bit of what happened by leaving Michaela the way he had last night; yet his heart yearned to be heard, to encourage and maintain hope. Unfortunately, the shouts from his brain and the pit of his stomach overpowered the feelings in his heart. He was so preoccupied he didn't even notice the figure in the distance running towards him.

Suddenly he heard his name being called; distant yet clear. He looked up from his daze and nearly fell off the horse when he saw who was running towards him. Sully managed to dismount, and turned back towards the herald. "What are you doing Mich–" but he was cut off when Michaela ran into him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh Sully!" Michaela exclaimed, pulling back and dropping her arms. "I remember, I remember it all! I remember the valley...and, and the kiss...I remember you walking away...and... remember going after you, but getting lost...I remember waking up again...with you trying to warm me...and, I remember what we said...every word..." Michaela said in barely a whisper. She looked deep into his eyes, seeing the hope begin to grow and over take the confusion and hysteria. Sully appeared as if he wanted to say something, and Michaela knew what he was trying to put into words. "Sully...you needn't explain anything...I understand...what's more is, honestly, I love you all the more... Sully?" Michaela said in concern when she saw a tear escape his water glazed eyes.

Sully answered by cupping Michaela's delicate face with his hands and kissing her as she had never been kissed. Sparks flew, as did their hearts and souls. Michaela allowed her arms to clasp around Sully's neck as his arms encircled her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in a burst of joy and relief. "Sully!" shouted gleefully

Sully slowed the rotations and allowed Michaela's feet to touch back down to the ground , while never letting her out of his arms. Michaela looked joyfully up into Sully's eyes, seeing all the love of the world that Sully had for her. "I thought was gonna lose ya...Michaela, I was scared...and so confused, I didn't know what to do...I couldn't even bear the thought of losing ya, not after I had just told ya...Michaela I love ya, as true as love can ever be imagined...and I never want to hurt ya, ever again...I know I did that far too many times last night..."

Sully stopped as Michaela put a finger to his lips. "I love you too." They shared a smile as they came together once more a kiss.

"Let's get you back...you're still going to the hospital..just want to make sure you're ok" Sully said while wrapping one arm around Michaela's waist and leading her to Walks Above.

Michaela rolled her eyes slightly. "Sully, I..."

"Michaela, I don't want to even hear it." Sully said while helping her on the horse's back before mounting himself.

"Excuse me, but am I not the doctor here?" Michaela said as Sully mounted behind her and wrapped his arms around her sides to grip the horse's roped reins.

"Excuse me, but am I not your transportation host?" Sully said softly into her ear before lightly kissing the side of her head.

Michaela nodded slightly and laughed. "Fine, point taken." Sully grinned while giving a quick flick of the reins and they were off.

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Authors Note: __No this isn't the end! _**: 


	10. Chapter 10: Ever a Surprise

_Thanks for all of your kind reviews. You have no idea how nervous I was submitting that last chapter. I suppose I thought it wasn't very good, or well written, or something! Oh well, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!_

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Chapter 10: Ever a Surprise_**

She didn't need anyone to tell her whether she was well or not. Everything was perfect. It was Christmas day, and she had received the best gift of all: The gift of love. She clasped her hand in his as they waited for Dr. Bernard to return with her diagnosis. Her skin tingled under his touch, as he gently massaged the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. Even with adverted eyes, she could feel his eyes gazing over her with such an intensity that unnerved her and caused her cheeks to glow crimson. Trying to control the overwhelming feelings that caused her head to spin and soul to yearn for freedom, Michaela closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

Through out the journey to the hospital and even when they had first entered the waiting room, Michaela had been acting almost giddy with joy. Yet, slowly she had seemed to draw into herself, and act almost embarrassed to be around him. As he saw her cheeks become a shade rose and her eyes close, Sully's finger ascended to her chin and he gently attempted to raise her gaze, to look into her eyes. Accepting his request, Michaela looked up into Sully's eyes.

What he saw confused him. Amidst the beacon of joy, there lay aloft a twinge of emotion that Sully could not identify. _Was it embarrassment? Was it fear? Or worse yet, was it resentment?_ "Michaela...is there something wrong?" Sully asked with evident concern.

Michaela shook her head and smiled slightly. Honestly she didn't know what she was feeling right now, it was all so new to her. "No Sully, I'm wonderful!"

Sully still wasn't all that convinced. "If ya don't want me to..." He began, letting his left hand drop from her face and his right hand begin to slip from her grasp.

Michaela realized what Sully was thinking and she immediately moved to re-clasp his hand. "No, no Sully. I...I just...I don't really know how to explain it..." Truth be told, Michaela _was_ feeling rather frightened. At first thought, she feared she was feeling the same anxiety she had felt with David. Yet as she thought about it, Michaela realized it was quite a different emotion. For unlike David, where she feared what he would do or how far he would push, Michaela was actually afraid of what she, herself would do. Even in the short time since admitting her love to Sully, she realized what Sully did to her, what emotions were brought around by his mere presence. She was afraid of herself.

"I don't what to make you feel uncomfortable." Sully said in a calm, caring tone, while clasping both of his hands around one of Michaela's and bringing it up to his heart. "I love you, Michaela."

Michaela smiled broadly, not believing how three small words could cause such powerful emotions to burst within her being. Michaela brought her free hand up to lightly caress Sully's cheek. "I lo–" But Michaela was cut off by the reentrance of Dr. Bernard. Upon seeing the elderly gentleman, Michaela instantly broke away from Sully and the blush that had once faded, reaffirmed itself on her cheeks.

"Well, Dr. Quinn, it seems you have recovered fully. However, as you know, there is the possibility of a relapse. I suggest you go home and relax, and as much as it will pain you, please don't go to work tomorrow. Although I'm sure you could prove yourself to be otherwise, they don't need weakened interns in the surgery room." Dr. Bernard said with a slight smile. "You're free to go."

After Dr. Bernard left the room, a slight sigh escaped Sully's lips and Michaela looked up at him in confusion. "What is it Sully?"

Sully looked at Michaela briefly, then allowed his lips to form into a small smile while looking back at the door that Dr. Bernard had just exited from. "Nothing, just glad you're all ok."

Michaela smiled at his compassion and slid from the examination table she was seated at. "I told you I was fine." She said while wrapping her arm around his waist.

Sully mirror Michaela's actions and drew her close while kissing the top of her head. "Well, as the doctor told ya, you're gonna go home and get some rest."

Michaela rolled her eyes as they started out the door and down the hall towards the exit. When they reached Sully's parked car, Michaela gazed over at the Children's Hospital across the street. Suddenly her mouth dropped open as if she remembered something. "Oh, Sully, I forgot...I promised to visit some of the children at the hospital on Christmas day...I had presents for them and everything..."

Sully shook his head. "Michaela, I'm sure they'll understand...you can't go there in your condition."

"But Sully, you heard the doctor, I don't even have a condition anymore."

"Michaela, he said there was a chance of a relapse, and I'm not gonna let you take that risk. Besides, you a) don't have the presents you were supposed to give them, and b) you don't want to affect any of the children at the hospital." Sully said while getting into the car.

Michaela was not about to let this argument pass. "Sully, Hypothermia is not an illness that you catch from someone else, it's your body's way of reacting to the cold. And some of these children, they don't have any friends outside of that hospital. Many of them have been there since they were born. The least I can do is..." Michaela said hotly, as she got into the car and sat in the passenger's seat.

But Sully interrupted her. "No, Michaela, the least you can do is go home and rest. Maybe you can call them in their rooms later, tell them you'll stop by another day."

Michaela heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Sully!"

"No Michaela! I wont lose ya..." Sully shouted and looked her dead in the eye. It was then when Michaela saw all the worry and angst in Sully's eyes, and she realized how taxing this entire ordeal had been on him. She saw how much he loved her. This knowledge suddenly silenced Michaela from any rebuttal, and Sully felt completely guilty for yelling at Michaela. "I'm sorry Michaela, I..."

"No, no I'm sorry...you're right, I'm just not thinking." Michaela said while looking at her lap.

_Good job, Sully! Ya really messed up this time! _Sully chastised himself upon seeing Michaela's submissive behavior. Sully let his hand rest on Michaela's knee as he tried to string words together to explain himself. "Michaela, I didn't mean to yell..."

Michaela shook her head and looked up into Sully's eyes, blue as the Colorado Columbine. "Sully, you don't need to be sorry...I...I'm sorry, I've never had anyone care for me like you do...I've never had anyone looking out for me, well, except my father...and my mother, but she was so over protective and manipulating, I always did the opposite of what she told me to do; and I'd fight to the bitter end with her." Michaela said sighing deeply the placing her hand lovingly over Sully's. "What I'm trying to say is, thank you Sully...I suppose it's true what my father used to say to me... I'm just as stubborn as my mother."

Sully smiled with Michaela at this last phrase. "Well, you two must be a sight to watch." Sully said, as he started the car.

"Sully! I can't believe you just said that...although I will admit it probably is quite entertaining from a bystander's point of view. Just don't let either of us see you laughing during our quarrel, otherwise you may be pulled in to it yourself!" Michaela said laughing.

Before pulling out, Sully reached over and caressed Michaela's cheek, then leaned towards her giving her a sweet kiss. Michaela smiled as Sully pulled back and drove out of the hospital parking lot. Never had Michaela felt so happy and loved. Her heart wanted to break from within her rib cage and soar to the highest peaks of the tallest mountains.

* * *

As Sully drove them to her home, Michaela couldn't get over how lucky she was to have met Sully. She knew she was lucky a month ago, if not before that. But now she realized how amazingly fortunate she was, not only to have known him, but to have him love her the way he did. Everything seemed so right. That is, until they pulled up into the apartment complex's drive-way, and Michaela saw someone that was oh-so-familiar, talking to Dorothy and a policeman. This was the last time or place that she needed to see this person. 

"Michaela!" Dorothy shouted, when she noticed her pull up with Sully.

Michaela took in a deep breath and exited the car with a fake smile plastered on her face. Sully, who couldn't understand why she become so tense, was about to be informed.

"Why Mother, what are you doing here?" Michaela said while walking up to the middle-aged woman.

"What am I doing here? Why Michaela, what do you think I'm doing here. You disappear for almost twenty-four hours, after not contacting with your mother in over a month, and you ask me what I'm doing here! Well for your information, you've had the entire Denver Police force out looking for you for the past five hours! Dorothy, here, was wise enough to contact me early this morning, when no one was able to locate you. Fortunately, I was able to get a flight out here." Elizabeth Quinn said feverishly.

"You needn't overreact so, Mother. Sully and I..." Michaela began.

"Whom?" Mrs. Quinn asked with a bit of edge to her voice.

Michaela sighed and turned to look at Sully, while waving him over, before turning back to her mother. "Sully...he...we...um, Mother we'll talk about this later...sir..." Michaela faced the police officer, "...I'm sorry to cause so much trouble. We got stuck in the mountains last night with the storm, I ended up with a case of hypothermia, and we were just at the hospital this morning. There wasn't much we could do to contact anyone." Michaela said apologetically, ignoring her mother's gasps every so often.

The policeman merely nodded. "That's ok Miss, we though it may have had something to do with the storm; but your folks just wanted to make sure you were ok. I'll send out the announcement that you've been found."

"Thank you very much." Michaela said, as the police officer made his way back to his car.

"Michaela! What do you mean..." Elizabeth began again.

"Mother, I really would rather we discuss this later." Michaela pleased through gritted teeth.

"Ma'am, we just came from the hospital. They said that Michaela needed to get some rest before she did anything." Sully stepped forward to help, much to Michaela's appreciation.

Elizabeth looked Sully up and down before responding. "And who might you be, sir?"

"This, this is Sully, mother" Michaela answered in the same accusatory tone that her mother had just asked in.

"And who, might I ask, is Sully?"

For this question, Michaela was lost for words. How could she ever explain this to her mother. "He's...Sully is...mother some things have happened...in the past month...I mean..."

Just then, Michaela's nervous behavior followed by Sully's kind and tenderness struck a note in Mrs. Quinn's brain. "Oh, Michaela! What...no...where is David?" Michaela suddenly paled at the question and Sully stepped up so that she could feel him on her back; being there, right behind her all the way. Elizabeth, didn't wait for Michaela to respond. "I'm suppose to check on David as well while I'm out here. Supposedly he hasn't contacted home in a month either."

"You mean he's not back in New York?" Michaela asked while fear started to simmer in her gut.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Of course not! He's been here, or at least we thought as much...Michaela what is going on?"

Michaela shook her head, as the headache that was usually associated with her mother started to come around. When Sully noticed Michaela begin to touch the temples of her head, he knew she needed to get some rest. "Mrs. Quinn, Michaela really needs to lie down. Perhaps we can discuss this later."

Elizabeth turned her attention to Sully. "Who are you to say what my daughter needs. You're the reason she was lost aren't you? Well I suggest that you don't pay any more visits to Michaela."

"MOTHER!" Michaela yelled as the pain in her head mounted, and she became a bit lightheaded.

Dorothy stood aside, watching the entire confrontation in amazement. She had been with Elizabeth for a few hours before this entire argument;and although she did find the woman to be bossy and stubborn, she never dreamed that any mother would act so controlling over their own adult daughter.

Much to the surprise of all those present, Michaela suddenly cried out in pain and passed out into Sully's arms. "Michaela!" everyone shouted at once. Sully lifted her fully into his arms and nodded towards the apartments. "Dorothy, can you get the door, please?" Dorothy immediately nodded and ran hurried to the door, with Sully, carrying Michaela, at her heals.

Elizabeth simply stood in the parking lot, completely shocked by the entire confrontation. It appeared to her that something, something very big, had happened not only between Michaela and David, but also Michaela and the odd-appearing Sully. And what ever that something was, Elizabeth Quinn was going to get down to the bottom of it!

* * *

Sully lay Michaela onto her bed while Dorothy went to get a cloth and some cool water. Sully kneeled on the floor beside Michaela's bed, holding her hand as he had done not six hours before. Slowly, Michaela came around, squinting into the room. "Sully?" She requested shakily. 

Sully leaned over more so that she could see him and pulsed her hand once, gently. "I'm right here. You're in your bed right now. Are you ok?" Sully asked with concern, for about the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours.

Michaela, who continued to squint due to her eye's current sensitivity to light, nodded her aching head. "I'm fine...Sully? Is my Mother actually here?"

Sully smiled a bit and exhaled deeply. "Yes, yes she is here. Well, I was right about one thing."

Michaela looked at him confused. "What's that?"

"It is actually quite amusing to see you two go at it." Sully said with a smirk on his face.

Michaela sighed with exasperation and rolled her eyes. "Oh, if my head didn't hurt so much, I'd throw this pillow at you."

"Michaela, your head's hurting? Should I call the doctor or..."

"No, no, no...it's a usual migraine. They come and go sometimes. To be specific, they normally come with the presence of my dear Mother." Michaela huffed. "I'm sorry she acted the way that she did. And unfortunately, I can't promise you anything to become different over time. That's just Mother for you, as ornery and quick-to-jump to conclusions as ever." As she watched Sully smile at this last comment, Michaela knew that she had to say one more thing. "Sully, I'm sorry..."

Sully shook his head, with the smile still present on his face. "Don't worry about your mother Michaela, I'll be fine. Besides, I gotta make a good impression with her; don't I?" Sully said with a bit of coy in his voice.

Michaela sighed and shook her head. "No, Sully...I mean, well...back outside, I don't...I didn't know how to explain to mother...She still thinks I'm with David. I, I didn't tell her about everything yet because...well, you can kind of see how she acts...I just couldn't explain everything to her out there like that...I..."

Sully placed a finger to her lips, silencing her troubles. "Ya needn't worry about it, Michaela. I knew and I understand, completely." Sully whispered while bringing his finger from her lips to stroke her cheek bone tenderly. Slowly, Sully leaned over even more and kissed Michaela lovingly on the lips, as she relaxed into the pillows.

Their intimate moment was suddenly discontinued, with a crash of a glass bowl. Sully spun around on his knees, and Michaela peered over Sully's shoulder. There in the doorway, stood Dorothy, who, at one time, was carrying a bowl of cool water and a rag. Right behind her was, of course, Michaela's Mother.

"Michaela! What on earth do you think you are doing?" Elizabeth croaked out in utter shock.

Michaela closed her eyes, praying for this entire mess to just go away. Unfortunately, her prayers were not exactly answered. "Michaela! I asked you a question!" Elizabeth said as she pushed past a still-perplexed Dorothy, and made her way towards the bed standing directly in front of Sully.

Michaela gritted her teeth and composed herself before answering. "I am trying to come up with an excuse that you will find legitimate, Mother."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"It means that I already know that you will never understand my relationship with Sully. I know you will probably never except it; and I know that I really don't care anymore." Michaela said, with angry tears in her eyes.

Elizabeth shook her head. "What do you mean, 'relationship with Sully'? Where is David? You had better tell me what on earth is going on soon or I'll..."

"You want to know what happened? So you really want to know what happened between David and I?" Michaela cried out, feeling Sully's hand on her arm, attempting to calm and reassure her.

"Yes that is exactly what I would like to know! And sir, I ask that you take your hand off of my daughter this minute or..."

"DAVID TRIED TO RAPE ME MOTHER!" Michaela screamed over her mother, deafening all other sounds in the room. "On Thanksgiving eve, David attacked me. I was able to get away, but it was Sully who picked me up in the middle of the night and took me in. He cared for my exterior injuries and he listened and helped me reveal what happened. And what's more is, even after he found out, he didn't turn away. He, unlike William, didn't become afraid of me and distance himself from me. Both Sully and Dorothy have been there for me this past month, and I own them everything, including my life."

Elizabeth stood, disbelievingly at her daughter. "If all of this truly happened, then why on earth didn't you think to tell your own mother?"

Michaela closed her eyes before continuing. "Two reasons Mother. Firstly, how was I suppose to tell you something like that over the phone or in a letter. What am I supposed to say, 'Hey Mom, I was sexually harassed today by a life long friend, thought you might be interested'? And Secondly, I knew what you would do. You'd do exactly what you are doing now; try to make me see the error of my ways and come back to Boston with you. Because that's why your really here isn't it Mother? Isn't it to come and find my broken body lying somewhere in the woods waiting to be eaten by some bear, and let you have your moment of glory by telling me 'I told you so'?"

" Oh, Michaela! How dare you make such vulgar accusations!" Elizabeth rebutted

Michaela sighed. "But it is partially true mother. You had hoped to take me back to Boston with you. Am I correct?" Elizabeth made a move to say something, but Michaela didn't allow her to even answer. "Never mind, mother. What you need to understand, is that I love Sully, and it doesn't matter what you say. Because you can't change what's in my heart." Michaela said as tears tumbled down her cheeks onto her be covers.

Elizabeth Quinn bit her lip; for the first time in history, she was completely speechless. "Well, if that's truly how you feel...I'll be leaving on the eight o'clock flight to Boston. I hope life serves you well, Michaela." Elizabeth said turning on her heal and starting for the door, before she was stopped by Michaela.

"Wait Mother, I lied about something. I do care about what you have to say, and your approval. It means more to me than you could ever imagine." Michaela paused, hearing a _humph_ from Elizabeth. "But Mother, I wont let your opinion change who I am or what I do with my life, if you wont be accepting with the choices that I have made. I love you, and I hate to see you leave like this. But perhaps it's for the best..." Michaela trailed off looking at her lap.

Elizabeth took a half-glance over her shoulder, before continuing on, passed Dorothy and out of the apartment.

_**A mother who left her daughter heartbroken, because of something as foolish as pride**_.


	11. Chapter 11: Rising in the East

_Sorry this is so short and took a while to update. I wasn't exactly sure where to go with this chapter, so I hope that you enjoy it!_

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Chapter 11: Rising in the East _**

A single tear escaped her watery-eyed gaze, as she fumbled with a loose thread on her comforter. Ever so softly, Michaela felt Sully's forefinger push the droplet off her tear-kissed cheeks and move down to raise her head and catch her remorse-filled eyes.

Sully looked at Michaela with all the care and compassion that the world had to offer. It pained him to see the vast, hurt, glaze that hung in her olive and maple orbs. He wanted to help Michaela and Elizabeth, but he wasn't sure if he could actually do anything. Sully's hand still clasped Michaela's, and he tenderly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "I hate to leave ya like this, but I think you should get some rest now." Sully said, caressing Michaela's pale cheek lightly.

Michaela broke her gaze with Sully, concentrating back on the dislocated bit of string while nodding her head slowly. Sully kept his hand close to her chin, lifting her head gently, while peering into her eyes. Michaela was forced to look up into Sully's azure eyes, as if they had a magnetic force to her own.

"Michaela, I know we need to talk about everything. And I wouldn't say this if I didn't think it was best for ya…"

"No…no wait Sully, you're right. I'm…I'm sorry, for everything…" Michaela interrupted, as more tears began to swell in her shining eyes.

Sully merely shook his head. "Nah, Michaela there's nothing to be sorry for. Some family members…just don't get along all that great with each other…"

Michaela looked as if she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. "Don't get along? Sully, did you not hear her? Who **could** get along with that woman?"

Sully chuckled softy to himself. "Michaela, we're not gonna discuss this right now; but ya have to admit, you said some pretty nasty things back to your mother."

Michaela's eyes widened and her mouth dropped in surprise. "Sully! What do you…I mean…I couldn't help it, she was…" But Michaela was silenced by Sully's finger pressing gently onto her lips.

"Like I said, we're not talking 'bout this now. You get some rest; I promise I'll be here when you wake up." Sully assured in a whisper.

Michaela exhaled deeply and glanced up at Sully, giving him a nod and a fair smile. Sully responded with a similar smile while leaning over to place a quick kiss on Michaela's forehead. After one more tender caress of Michaela's cheek, Sully stood and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Michaela continued to stare aimlessly at the door, long after Sully had left; while thoughts and emotions swirled in her mind and heart. She hated the constant bickers with her mother and wished she knew what she had done wrong so many years ago. For, Michaela couldn't remember a time when she felt the whole and unconditional love that she should have from her mother. Of course Elizabeth loved Michaela; however, she never seemed to support or approve of Michaela or her choices in life.

Michaela knew she had always been her 'father's little girl'; but she had continuously desired and worked endlessly for praise and acceptance from her mother. _Perhaps it's because I always went to Father for my problems…Perhaps I offended her in some way, or even hurt her…If she would just tell me…maybe… _But Michaela knew her mother all too well. She knew that Elizabeth Quinn had far too much pride in her being to ever come back and work out the argument. "Someday…maybe…" Michaela whispered, before nodding her head and slipping off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Sully faced the door and silently closed it behind him. He turned quickly on his heal only to collide with Dorothy who appeared to have been waiting for him with great anticipation. "Oh, sorry there Dorothy!" Sully apologized in a hushed tone. Dorothy merely nodded and bent her head as she thought carefully about how to word her ensuing question. "Dorothy, is something wrong?" 

Dorothy glanced up guiltily at Sully before nodding and stepping over to the kitchen, summoning Sully to follow her. Both took their seats on stools side-by-side, and after a slight delay, Dorothy took in a deep breath. "Sully…what, what exactly happened…out there?"

Sully took in and released a deep sigh before answering. He never even thought about having to explain the entire night's events to anyone, especially without Michaela at his side. However, Sully understood Dorothy's desire and need to know of the night's auspicious (as well as inauspicious) events. "Well…I guess I should start at the beginning…I picked Michaela up after work…" Sully commenced and continued to tell Dorothy the rest of the story, leaving out a few intimate details that Sully figured Michaela would rather be the one to talk to Dorothy about than him.

As Sully's account slowly unraveled, Dorothy's eyes widened with acuteness and near-disbelief. Although she knew Sully and Michaela had developed a strong friendship, Dorothy was completely shocked to discover that either had such dynamic feelings for the other. After all these years of knowing Sully, Dorothy felt embarrassed that she had not noticed the change in his presence or the sparkle in the vast, blue, seas that lit up his face.

"…and as I turned around, I saw Michaela running towards me, and she just threw her arms around me and told me that she remembered! I don't really know what happened to make her memory come back, and I guess at the time I didn't really care…and well, that's about the size of it." Sully shrugged his shoulders as he finished his anecdote.

Silence flooded the room for a few moments as Dorothy took in the rampaging emotions and circumstances of the night. She stood and began pacing the kitchen floor, allowing her eyes to wander to anything except Sully. Finally finding the voice she had thought lost, Dorothy halted and turned to face Sully. "So…you love Michaela?"

Sully looked at Dorothy for a beat with questioning eyes, _Hadn't I just explained that to her?_ "Uh, yeah…I love Michaela."

Dorothy nodded her head and bit the side of her mouth, deep in thought. "…And she, Michaela, loves you?"

_Did she even listen to a word I just said?_ "Yes, Dorothy, Michaela said that she loved me. Is there anything wrong?" Sully asked hesitantly.

This time, Dorothy didn't miss a beat as she shook her head. "No, no…I suppose I'm just…surprised!" Dorothy honestly admitted as she forced her head up to look Sully straight in the eye, and a hint of a smile peaked through her tense features. "I'm really…happy for you, Sully; both of you!" Dorothy reiterated while a forced smile blazed across her face.

Sully immediately noticed the abnormity in Dorothy's usually soft and friendly form, and he was about to make mention of it when she suddenly cut him off and reached for her coat, which lay across the desk chair behind her. "Well, I really must be going…I have to…go to work, but I'll see you two later. Give my regards to Michaela when she wakes up! See ya later Sully!" Dorothy called behind her as she headed out the door.

It wasn't until she had closed the door behind her and Sully heard the distinct rumblings of her car starting up and driving off that he realized that it was still Christmas Day, and Dorothy certainly wouldn't have any work to do at the press office. Dorothy's reaction left Sully completely baffled, and he couldn't imagine why she wasn't acting more supportive of Michaela and his relationship._ Had it not been her who continuously told me that I needed to move on and find the happiness that awaited me? _

Sully continued to puzzle on the ensuing subject until he heard a frail coo followed by the faint creaking of the floorboards from across the living-room, behind the closed doors of Michaela's chamber. Rising to his feet as her door slowly crept open; Sully felt his heart leap and sensed that his legs had gone numb. Somehow, Sully had managed to forget how absolutely gorgeous Michaela was. She stood across the room from him, wearing a mere tank-top and an old pair of scrubs; nothing glorious. Yet perfectly simple. And as plain as it seemed, Sully found his heart racing and the lump forming in his throat appeared to be growing rapidly with each passing moment.

Michaela suddenly became aware of Sully situated across the room, and smiled as she made her way over to him. Sully, who finally came to his senses, greeted Michaela with a loving embrace, holding her close to his chest and placing sweet kisses into her hair. Sully felt Michaela relax into his arms, and he nodded his head down slightly to whisper into her ear. "Her beauty was like silence in a cup of water." Michaela smiled into his warm embrace and raised her head to meet Sully's gaze, while a twinge of perplexity danced with utter joy in her eyes.

Sully noticed the trace of confusion that played in her contrasting orbs, and he mirrored the blissful smile that her own face held. "It's a quote by Denis Devlin…I suppose your beauty must of inspired me to remember it."

Michaela blushed feverously, and she felt her heart bursting from the love she felt both to and from Sully. As she stared into the intensity of his gaze, Michaela slowly sensed the distance between them diminish until she could feel Sully's short breaths blanketing her face. Michaela closed her eyes, trying to control the raging emotions that tortured her so. Sensuously, she felt Sully's lips brush timidly against her own, before they came back with an intensity Michaela had never experienced in her life. Souls soared and all thoughts of dignity or suitability were lost in the kiss that consumed both their hearts and minds. Michaela felt her arms wrap around Sully's neck to deepen the kiss, and she realized she had lost control of her body's actions. Fear, mixed with confusion and desire caused Michaela to moan into the kiss.

Unfortunately, Sully mistook her guttural for an urging of more, and it wasn't until Michaela pushed hard against Sully's chest, breaking off the kiss, that he suddenly realized the intent of Michaela's sigh. Sully quickly broke all contact with Michaela, freeing her completely from himself.

Their hearts raced as they gasped for the breath that had been lost during the kiss. Michaela turned from Sully, as tears formed silently in her eyes. Her swollen lips tingled as she brushed a finger across them. She couldn't believe she had lost control in such a short span of time. _The things that this man does to me!_ But this was thought not with the joy one might expect, but instead with fear and angst.

"Michaela?" Sully said still short of breath, as he noticed her concealed form. It was not until he placed a hand on Michaela's shoulder, beckoning her to face him, and he saw the tears clouding her eyes, that Sully understood the feelings that were rushing through her at that moment. Sully quickly removed his extended hand from her shoulder and back away cautiously from Michaela. _Damn it! How could I be so stupid?_ Sully beat himself mentally, as he began to turn from Michaela.

Michaela saw the pain and self-disgust that lay in Sully's features, and she quickly composed herself to mirror Sully's previous actions. Michaela brushed her fingertips on the back of his arm, halting Sully, before she gave her testimony. "Wait Sully…I…I'm sorry. I lost control of myself…and, I suppose that just scared me…Sully, I've…I've never felt like this…I've never had such emotions, emotions that get the better of me and…I can't even begin to explain it!" When Sully continued to face away from her, Michaela sighed deeply and searched for the words to describe her heart's emotions. "Sully…I love you, there's no better way of saying it. But I've…I've never truly been in love before. This is all so new to me, now I'm finding that when I'm with you I can't control how I feel; and sometimes, I can't control my own actions. And Sully…that scares me!"

Sully let go of the breath he had held during Michaela's explanation, as he turned to face Michaela, before enveloping her in his arms. Michaela welcomed him embrace thoroughly, and immediately relaxed into his arms. Sully, once again, kissed the top of her head and rocked Michaela gently in his arms. "I love you too, Michaela. I don't want you to ever doubt that! I guess we're just gonna have to take this one step at a time…"

Michaela nodded into Sully's embrace over her as they swayed back and forth on the carpeted floor. Thoughts and emotions were still fresh in her mind and heart, but Michaela forced herself to push the uncertainties from her mind as she reveled in the feeling of Sully's arms around her timid body. Everything appeared to be perfect…but the key word was 'appeared'.

* * *

_Please read and review! Go to my site and/or blog(which you can get a link to on my profile page (blog link is located on my personal site)and leave comments PLEASE!_


	12. Chapter 12: Ever as Before

**_Chapter 12: Ever as Before_**

They stood, relaxed in each other's arms for an unknown length of time, in a blissful heaven. Swaying gently to a mutual rhythm, Michaela felt her body weakening into Sully's embrace and she feared she might collapse at any given moment. Sully, sensing her destabilized form, suddenly scooped Michaela up into his arms in one swift motion and held her close to him. Michaela grinned with surprise and look up to find Sully staring deep into her eyes, reaching and caressing her soul. The intensity of his gaze caused a shiver to ripple through her spine and Michaela felt the thunderous beat of her heart, drumming into the pit of her chest.

Sully felt Michaela tense in his embrace and saw her face pale before a blush took to her cheeks. Sully dropped his head to whisper into her ear, "You need to get some more rest…" Michaela nodded as Sully gently moved across the room to the entrance of Michaela's bedroom, with her draped gracefully over his extended arms. Sully continued through the door before he stopped at Michaela's unmade bed and laid Michaela on top it. Bending down once more, Sully kissed Michaela lovingly on her parted lips, before saying in hushed tones, "Sleep well my Love."

Michaela felt her entire being tingle with ardor and zeal as Sully got to his feet and turned to leave. Reacting quickly to her feverous heart, Michaela's hand flew out to grasp Sully's. Feeling her hand brush against his, Sully turned back to face Michaela, clasping her outstretched hand. Michaela's mouth opened but no words could be uttered for she had no explanation to why she had summoned Sully back. Instead she just spoke the words of her heart "I love you Sully."

Sully smiled as his own heart leapt from within. Never would he have imagined that those three small words could cause such emotions to ripple through his body and soul. Tenderly, Sully raised Michaela's hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle amorously. "I love you too…sleep now…" Sully whispered into the silence, letting her hand descend gently to her side, before turning back away and parting from her room.

* * *

Michaela woke several hours later, in the dead of night, into the silence of the abandoned apartment. Grabbing her robe Michaela walked through all the rooms, finding that she was completely alone. She expected that Sully would have returned to his own home now, but Michaela could not figure where Dorothy could be. Just as Michaela was about to call Dorothy on her cell phone, she heard the front door shutter and the open as Dorothy walked through in some sort of daze. "Dorothy? Oh, Dorothy are you alright?"

Dorothy's lips pursed as she took off her jacket and attempted to smooth her wind-tossed hair. "No of course not… why would anything be wrong Michaela?"

Michaela was frightened by the bite that lay exposed in her voice and she shook her head in confusion. "Nothing…er…do you want to talk about something Dorothy?"

Michaela's question of concern only seemed to make matters worse. "Talk to you about something…why would I need to talk to you about something…we're only room mates…let alone good friends, at least I thought we were…"

Michaela let out an exasperated breath. "Of course we are Dorothy, why would you…."

"The why didn't you tell me you had feelings for Sully?" Dorothy interrupted while raising her voice slightly.

Michaela shook her head, not sure how to explain the entire situation or her own feelings to Dorothy, when she couldn't make sense of the herself. "I…I didn't realize I really had any…"

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "So what happened? Sully took you to some hill top and you instantly fell madly in love with him?"

Now Michaela was getting annoyed by Dorothy's accusations and insensitive questioning. "NO! I just didn't understand my feelings for him…I…"

"How can you not understand your feelings for someone like Sully?" Dorothy shouted at Michaela.

"Since when do you know so much about understanding love and feelings?" Michaela's voice rose to match that of Dorothy's.

"Since I've loved before…and not just Marcus!" Dorothy rebuked, tears emerging into her eyes.

"Who? Why haven't you told me?"

"It doesn't matter…I don't need to tell you!"

"Then why must I tell you my feelings?"

"Because…!"

"Because…?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE SULLY TOO!" Dorothy shouted to the world, causing her voice to crack.

Michaela stood in shock as Dorothy's words of confession echoed in her mind and heart. Silence enveloped the room as the two women stood across from each other, red in the face and panting slightly as the caught their breaths.

After a deep sigh Dorothy continued in a slightly softer tone. "I have known Sully for almost a decade now…I found that I had feelings for him before he was even married. When he proposed to Abby….it nearly killed me. But I was strong, I even accepted Abigail's request to have me be her maid-of-honor…Sully was happy, and that's what mattered the most to me…" Dorothy paused briefly as she turned from Michaela and stared out of the window at the snow which fell gently from the blackened sky. "…then Abby and little Hannah died...Sully was left heart broken, but I was there for him; as much as he pushed everyone away, I tried to help him see that there were people who cared about him…and even loved him…and then he ran off and confided his troubles in a bunch of ghetto-living Indians, who didn't even know him as I did…"

That last comment was too much for Michaela. "Is that why you are so sour against the Cheyenne people? Is that why you can't seem to accept and understand Sully's relationship with the Native Americans? You should be grateful that they took Sully in and helped him!"

Dorothy shook her head in anger tears now barreling down her rosy cheeks. "But he had me! He could've trusted me to help him!"

"Dorothy, I can't speak for Sully…but perhaps he associated you too much with Abigail…and I guess he just didn't love you like you wanted him to…but you can't blame the Cheyenne people for that…you can't blame anyone for that!"

Dorothy whipped around to face Michael, anger and angst scorched into the fine lines of her face. "I don't need to hear this any more…I'm leaving…you can find yourself a new room mate!" Dorothy snapped, while turning and walking towards her room.

"So you're just going to walk away?" Michaela cried out as tears cascaded down her own cheeks, and Dorothy stopped dead in her place, but didnot turning to face Michaela. "You're going to walk out, just like William did? Just like my mother did? Are we hurting that many people by loving each other? Is my relationship with Sully that wrong? Because if it is, then I'll call it off right now! As much as it will kill me, I'll call him this minute…at, what time is it, midnight? I'll call him now, and tell him that I can't watch my friends be hurt because I love another…" Michaela spoke shakily through her bawling tears and heaving chest.

Dorothy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before speaking forcefully. "No…I'll stay…but this will be hard for me Michaela…however, I survived it when Sully met Abby…and who's to say that this will ever get that far?"

Michaela bit her lip when she heard the challenge present in Dorothy's final statement and she let Dorothy continue into her room with out another word.

* * *

After a restless night of sleep, Michaela woke with the sun rise and quickly got ready for work. As quietly as possible, she slipped out of the apartment and into the bitter cold of the morn. Wrapping her arms around her shivering body, Michaela reached into her purse for her phone and began to dial for a taxi. Michaela had no intention of disturbing Dorothy right now, and she still felt hurt from Dorothy's cataclysmic declaration last night. As she stared up onto the cerise colored horizon, waiting for her call to be picked up, Michaela saw a familiar car roll in to the drive way and park in front of her. As she recognized the car and its driver, a smile lit up her face while Michaela closed her cell phone and ran the driver's side of the car. Her Love was here…

Sully nearly toppled back into the seat of his car when Michaela threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close to her. "I'm happy to see you too!" Sully laughed, while gently rubbing Michaela's back and giving the side of her head a quick kiss. "I can't see you're well rested!" Suddenly Michaela's grip lessened and she drew back to reveal that there were tears present in her eyes. "Michaela, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong…"

Michaela shook her head as a single tear over flooded from her eyes and cascaded down her cheek. She knew that she could not tell Sully what had happened with Dorothy, but at the same time Michaela felt that he needed to know. "It's…it's not you at all…it's Dorothy…she…she was…upset with me for not telling her about 'us' before…but…I didn't think or know there was an 'us'…I mean I didn't understand my feelings for you until you kissed me Sully! I…I was still…still so confused about David and…oh I just don't know any more Sully!" Michaelasputtered out, while Sully enveloped her in his arms.

"Shh…I was in the same boat Michaela…even after I kissed ya…I knew I loved ya, but I felt guilty about loving you…because of Abby…I didn't know I hadn't completely moved on yet…" Sully assured as he stared off into space remembering their night on that mountain. "…You made me realize that Michaela…and Dorothy is just shocked right now…we go back a long time, she's been a great friend to me and she is just feeling a bit put-out…"

Michaela almost wanted to laugh at Sully's assertion. Instead she stared up into his gaze, inviting his lips to come crashing into hers and allow passion to overpower her emotions of worry and distress. As their lips parted each other, Michaela opened her eyes and smiled, lovingly up at Sully. "Hmm…so did you come to give me a lift to the hospital…or should I call back the cab company?"

Sully smiled slightly, but then remembered why he was there and his smile thinned to a frown. "Well I can give ya a lift Michael, but there's something I have to ask ya first…see I was at the reservation early this morning, and a bunch of the kids an some of the adults got really sick, they can't stop coughing and a baby died yesterday…do ya think you could come out and see if you can help?"

Michaela saw the heartfelt, pleading look in Sully's eyes and she knew she could never turn him down. "Of course I will Sully…come on, let's go…" Michaela said determinedly, while she parted from Sully's embrace and made her way to the passenger side of the car.

* * *

Sully quickly slid off of Walks Above before reaching up for Michaela and setting her on the snow-blanketed forest floor. After quickly tying Walks Above to a near-by tree, Sully grabbed Michaela's hand and they walked hurriedly towards the reservation. Arriving at the reservation, Michaela saw the sober and grave faces of the Cheyenne people. Sully led Michaela into one of the first huts and closed the door behind her. What lay before he, Michaela could only describe as revolting. A young child lay on the floor with nothing but a thin blanket separating his back from the dust-ridden floorboards. His face pale as the snow outside and he shook with each breath he took. Without so much as a thought, Michael went into her 'doctor mode', kneeling next to the boy and began to check his vital signs.

Midway through her examination, the young boy suddenly sat up with a hacking cough resonating across the walls. Michaela instantly recognized the cough, having bellowed it herself when she was a young child. Horrified, Michaela looked up into Sully's eyes with an inadequate look in her eyes. "Sully…this child has double pneumonia…he needs to get to a hospital now!"

Sully gabbed a few times, not sure how to put his response in a calm and rational order. When Sully was unable to perform such action, Cloud Dancing, who had been standing in the door way, answered for him. "We are not allowed to go to the white man's hospital…"

Michaela's face fell in shock. "What…what do you mean?"

Cloud Dancing shook his head and this time Sully was forced to answer. "They live on reservation land…which is not considered part of the United States. The Native Americans are of their own nation, so to speak….basically the U.S. hospitals will not help them because they have no insurance which is unavailable to them here…"

Michaela shook her head in disgust and revulsion. "No…I won't let these children die…I'll get them in…even if I get fired in the process…"

* * *

_Oh yes, yes, yes! I am finally back on my plan for this story! Sully and Michaela's trip into the woods was never planned on and it just kind of came to me when I started that chapter...but anyways, please visit my webpage (link is located on my profile page) and leave a comment on my blog...supposively people have been having trouble leaving comments for my blog, so I need to know if this happens for everyone of just a select few...if it doesn't work for you please email me or leavev me a review at this site! Thanks and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! More to come soon!_


	13. Chapter 13: Ever Just the Same

_**Chapter 13: Ever as Before**_

Michaela sat in the front passenger seat next to Sully, as they drove towards the hospital. In the back seat sat three, young, Cheyenne children, pale with fever and unsteadily breathing amidst their hacking coughs. Sully and Michaela had decided to take in the weakest children first and then come back for the 14 others who had been taken by the pneumonia. Each time a child went into a coughing fit, Michaela's heart broke and she would turn in her seat to gently place her hand on their knee in comfort and compassion.

After the clinically weakest of the children faded from a particularly awful convulsion, Michaela turned forward in her seat and her eyes grazed Sully's face. One look was all that was needed for Michaela to see how horribly this was affecting Sully. His face was gaunt and solemn; and Michaela had noticed him hold his breath each time a child broke loose with the sickness. She knew that Sully would give anything to take their places and be consumed by the pneumonia.

Tenderly, Michaela placed her hand upon Sully's knee, causing him to jump from his reverie and look at Michaela briefly. Seeing the care and empathy in her loving eyes, Sully attempted to force a smile, but found that his lips could only form into a grimace. Instead his eyes left Michaela's to return to the road as he placed his right hand over hers.

They sat like that for the remainder of the journey to the hospital, neither making eye-contact while both stared aimlessly at the horizon. When they arrived at the Children's Hospital, Sully and Michaela jumped from their seats and retrieved the children from the back seat.

Michaela carried in the youngest of the three with Sully bringing up the rear with the other two Cheyenne. Walking in a rush, Michaela nearly ran right into Dr. Bernard and Dr. Cassidy, who were in the middle of a serious discussion.

"Quinn! Where have you been? Your shift began almost three hours ago?" Dr. Bernard asked sternly.

Michaela shook her head disregarding the question. "There's no time for that now…these children all have severe cases of double pneumonia. They need extensive care…"

"Now hold on just a second, Quinn…you know standard procedure! Who are these roughens?" Dr. Bernard questioned, noticing the children's ragged appearance.

Michaela sighed. "They're Cheyenne children who have been malnourished and have had to endure the harsh weather in nothing but huts…"

"Wow, wow, wow…just wait a minute…do you mean the Cheyenne living on the reservation land?" When Michaela nodded hesitantly, Dr. Cassidy shook his head. "Well, do they have health insurance?"

"Um, no…but…" Michaela began.

"Quinn, Quinn, Quinn…" Dr. Bernard also shook his head in slight disbelief. "I'm surprised at you! You know the regulations better than some of the superior doctors here!"

"Yes, but…"

"…Which means that you know just as well as I do that the regulations do not permit us to treat such patients! I can't fathom why you would even contemplate attempting such a thing!"

"But they're children…children who need help!" Michaela said exasperatedly as the volume of her voice increased.

"Dr. Quinn, I do suggest you keep you voice down…" Dr. Cassidy spoke with a hushed yet stern tone as some of the other patients in the lobby area look upon their conversation.

"Well I believe that our patients should know that their hospital refuses to treat sick children because of some ridiculous policy!" Michaela rebuked, lowering her volume slightly; yet maintaining the sharp edge to each beat.

Dr. Cassidy gave Michaela a livid look, as his eyes glared menacingly and his form went rigid. Just as Michaela began to fear for her own safety, Dr. Bernard placed his hand on Dr. Cassidy's arm warningly. "Cassidy, I'll see you at noon in surgery over at St. Joseph's…thank you." After one last glare towards Michaela, Dr. Cassidy took the initiative to leave. As he walked away, Dr. Bernard turned his attention back to Michaela. "Quinn…leave the child with that…um, friend of yours…" Dr. Bernard began, indicating Sully with a quick nod. "…and follow me." Just as Michaela opened her mouth to persist her case, Dr. Bernard cut her off, silencing Michaela. "Quinn, that wasn't a request; that was a command!"

Michaela nodded with defeat, and turned towards Sully to hand him the ill child, who broke out in another fit of coughs. Refusing to meet his persistent gaze, Michaela turned away from Sully and followed Dr. Bernard through the restricted passage doors, into the doctorial conference room. As she walked into the room, Michaela prepared herself for the inevitable word-lashing she was sure to receive. Michaela knew perfectly well that she had spoken out of turn; yet, for all the trouble it would cause her, Michaela also knew she wouldn't take a word of it back.

Closing the door behind them, Dr. Bernard turned to face Michaela, collecting his thoughts and composure. "Quinn…I understand that your heart is in the right place…it always is, which is one of the many reasons why I gave you the internship here at the children's hospital. However, that does not in any way excuse you speaking out of turn towards Dr. Cassidy, who is your superior…"

"But, Dr. Bernard, the children…"

"…Are of a separate nation to us…"

"So we should abandon them because they do not belong to the United States?"

Dr. Bernard shook his head. "Quinn…sometimes it's not what we should or should not do; it's what we can and can not do…"

"I'm sorry, but one thing I can't do is believe in what you just said!" Michaela spoke with renewed firmness. "There's always something that can be done…"

"Well, if you are so insistent on aiding these Native Americans, then I suggest that go give your speech to the Red-Cross…or maybe even create your own charity!"

Michaela closed her eyes as she attempted to conceal a groan. "Dr. Bernard, you know just as well as I do that any possible support wouldn't come for months, maybe even years. These children are sick today…now! At least let me treat them myself…"

Dr. Bernard sighed with exhaustion and a bit of annoyance. "Quinn, for the last time, I can't and won't allow it…" But before he could finish his final statement, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. "What!"

A gruff voice came from behind the door. "Dr. Bernard, your pager isn't on and they need you in the ER immediately."

Dr. Bernard sighed again. "Fine, I'll be there momentarily…" He said agitatedly, before turning back to Michaela. "…I'm needed somewhere else…Quinn? Michaela, are you alright?" Dr. Bernard placed a supporting hand upon her arm when he noticed her blanched face and weak form.

Hearing her name called and feeling the contact on her arm, brought Michaela out of her reverie, allowing her to nod quickly while she attempted to compose herself.

Dr. Bernard's eyes narrowed before they relaxed and he headed for the door. "Quinn, you're probably still suffering from hypothermia; so I suggest you go home and get some rest."

Michaela only nodded in response as Dr. Bernard walked from the room, leaving Michaela in an uncanny silence. Meanwhile, thoughts and memories swirled through her mind. _That voice…_ It had sent shivers down her spine and caused her skin to crawl_…whose face does that belong to? Whose presence causes such fear to smother me?_ Shadows, silhouettes, and nightmares all blurred together; spiraling and churning until a dizzy sickness formed in the pit of Michaela's stomach…

_…and then, it came to her…_

* * *

"He's here…" Michaela whispered with shaky breaths. 

"Who, who's here Michaela?" Sully asked with the utmost concern, noting the terrified stutter in her voice.

"He is here…"

"But who's 'he' Michaela?"

"**_HE_**…**_HIM_**…**_He_** who haunts my dreams…**_He_** who almost took my innocence…**_He_** who almost took my life!" Michaela cried as frightened tears made their way to her eyes and down her paled cheeks. Then in a faint whisper that was barely audible, Michaela affirmed the man's identity. "He's back, Sully…David is back!"

Michaela watched Sully's jaw tightened at her words. And when he glanced over her shoulder, Michaela felt Sully's hands grip her arms even more so. Afraid of what she might find behind her, Michaela hesitantly turned from Sully and followed his gaze across to the hospital entry way…

_…and there he was…_

Michaela felt her knees attempt to buckle and collapse and she found herself having to grab Sully's arm to stay upright. Luckily Sully's insticts told him to steady Michaela, while the rest of his mind was set on the anger he felt towards the man walking casually up to him.

David had seen Michaela rush from the room and followed her out of the hospital, not anticipating on finding her with someone else; especailly not Sully. _But then..._ he thought, _...perhaps I should have expected this..._ At the moment, however, David had only one care...one mindset...to win back Michaela...or else, seek revenge...

"What...what are you doing here?" Michaela asked, the fear obvious in her voice.

David smiled slightly as he reached Michaela and Sully. "Well isn't that a kind way to greet an old relation."

Michaela's eyesnarrowed with confusion. "I asked you a question...what are you doing here?"

David could see that heneeded to be upfront withhis reasoning if he were to get anywhere with Michaela. "I have come back, because...well, I was hoping we could start over again...I think I have seen the error of my ways and I wanted to at least make amends with you." David said with a sincere tone.

Michaela couldn't believe what she was hearing, and unrelented angerforDavid soon found it's way out of her system. "You're mad! You think you've seen the errors of your ways? Whatis wrong with you? David, we made amends when I told you Iwould forgive you if you left there and then...I don't know what you expect from me...I don't know what you want..."It would be his next words that throw Michaela for a tail-spin.

"I love you Michaela...I do I've been lost with out you..."

Michaela felt her gut fill with disbelief. "Stop...Stop it David!" Michaela attempted to speak over David's continuous testimonies of love and perseverancefor her. "David, STOP IT! I DON'T LOVE YOU!"

Suddenly, David halted all utterances and looked up at Michaela with a crazed look in his eyes. "What...?"

Michaela shook her head and released herself from Sully's protective arms. "David, I don't know what happened to you...but you need to get help! Because I can't imagine how any sane person would even question if I loved you or not...And what makes this even sadder, is that I don't think I ever really loved you...at least not in the way you wanted me to." Michaela placed her hand on David's shoulder in an attempt to bring to reason with him; but he immediately shrugged it off, startling Michaela, and causing her to step back towards Sully.

"No...if that is how you want it to be played..." David said menacingly, before switching his gaze from Michaela to Sully."...I'd look out for her, if I were you..." Without another word, David turned and began to walk towards the hospital entrance.

"Is that a threat?" Sully's voice bellowed for the first time since he learned of David's return.

David stopped and merely glanced back at the couple as an evil smile toyed with his lips. Then he continued into the hospital...

_

* * *

Oh I hope this chapter was ok, because I'll be honest with you and say that it didn't come out exactly as I expected it to, and I am very apprehensive about submitting this...PLEASE REVIEW! Ican rewrite it without hesitation if you feel that this is nessesary._


	14. Chapter 14: Small to Say the Least

**_Chapter 14: Small to Say the Least _**

Sully's form was stiff with anger and shook slightly as he made his move towards David's retreating body. However, he was cut short by Michaela, who lunged for his arm, holding Sully back. "No, Sully don't…leave him…let him go…" Michaela whispered with pleading eyes beckoning Sully.

Sully shook his head, as he tried to determine whether to do as Michaela requested or what his gut longed to do. "Michaela…you heard what he said…I can't let him…"

"He won't do anything…Sully, he's clearly not right in the mind…"

"My point exactly!"

"…And that means someone is bound to recognize that…I'd be surprised if he lasted a week!" Michaela assured him. But when Sully's eyes met hers, Michaela nearly leapt back at the sight of them. Never before had she seen such pain and anger that clouded Sully's oceanic eyes as she did now. "…Sully?"

Sully, however, turned away from Michaela and stared out at the distant peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Concerned and discouraged by his concealing actions, Michaela tried again to gain his response. "Sully? Sully, please…I'm so sorry for all of this…"

At the sound of her words, Sully exhaled and shook his head as he rotated back towards Michaela. Initially avoiding her gaze, Sully gently placed his hand on her upper arms and drew Michaela close to his chest, kissing the crown of her head. "Don't be sorry…God, Michaela it isn't your fault…"

Michaela pulled back slightly and tried to catch his gaze. When she found that he continued to look away, Michaela lightly placed her hand on his cheek and led his face to look into hers. "Please…please talk to me?"

Sully look down momentarily before nodding. "Michaela…I can't lose you. I won't let that happen. And as long as David is here, there's still that risk." Sully backed away from Michaela and walked over to a bench where the three Cheyenne children sat huddled together.

"But Sully…"

"Michaela, didn't you hear him? Did you not see that menacing look in his eyes? I don't care if he is the craziest man alive today! Clearly he was still smart enough to get his job back here at the hospital…didn't that even puzzle you for one second?" Sully said bitterly as he turned his head to look up at Michaela.

Michaela bit her trembling lower-lip, as her eyes left Sully's and she gazed back out to the majestic mountains. "Yes, I wondered about that…but he was always very clever. He always got what he wanted…" Michaela's voice trailed off as realization came over her at the understanding of her words. "Oh God Sully, what do we do?"

Sully stood and walked over to stand behind Michaela, placing his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "I'm not sure. But we'll figure it out…"

A sudden shout emitted from within the hospital startled Michaela and Sully. The automatic doors suddenly flew open to reveal two young children surrounding a young man. "Please, you've got to help us! Ya can't just leave him out on the streets like this!" The older boy exclaimed.

"I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do. I suggest you get you bother and sister to an orphanage and figure out your own life from there." A nurse said calmly before turning back into the hospital and leaving the three alone at the door.

"Damn it!" The young man whispered under his breath.

Michaela, who had watched the entire scene take place with Sully, looked curiously at the young man. He looked vaguely familiar. Suddenly the young girl next to the fair-hair young adult peaked over at Michaela and gasped when she saw her. "Mike! Mike! Look Matu, it's Dr. Mike!" The young girl squealed and ran to Michaela.

Michaela instantly recognized the young girl as the one she had met so many months ago during her first month of internship. "Why, hello little Colleen!" Michaela exclaimed while swooping the girl up into her arms. "What brings you here?"

Colleen glanced over at her bother. "My little bwoder, Bwian, he's weal sick. But da hospital won't let us in cause we don't got held insuwance."

Michaela puzzled over the child's sentence for a moment before putting it all together. "Oh health insurance!"

"Tat's what I said!"

Michaela smiled briefly at Colleen before glancing over at her clearly embarrassed older brother. Gently, she smiled at the young man and walked over to him.

"Here let me take her." The young man spoke in a low voice, clearly trying to hide his young age, while he took Colleen from Michaela's arms.

"You're Matthew, I presume?" Michaela asked kindly.

"Yeah, I guess you were the one who found Colleen a few months back." It wasn't a question, more a statement; and Michaela could only nod her head in response. "Yes, well thank you, we'll be going now…" Matthew muttered as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Michaela suddenly shouted after him. "Do you need help?"

Matthew turned to face Michaela with a slightly puzzled look on his face "Help?"

"Yes, help…the hospital didn't let you in…" Michaela said calmly.

Matthew diverted his eyes and bounced nervously on the balls of his feet. "Well, yeah…but we can handle things on our own thanks…"

Michaela shook her head and placed a compassionate hand on Matthew's arm. "It's ok…I want to help you…"

However, Matthew shook his head again. "We don't need your charity!"

"It's not charity…" Michaela sighed. "…I hate asking this way, but…did your mother….did she die?"

A look of pure sadness and mourning flashed across Matthew's face but he quickly replaced it with a monotonous mask to hide his pain. "…Yeah….yeah she…passed on…'bout two months ago…"

"I'm sorry…where have you been staying?"

Matthew's body once again went into nervous fidgets. "…Well….here and there…"

Michaela sighed heavily at his response. "Matthew, answer me truthfully, how old are you?"

Matthew looked up briefly at Michaela before diverting his eyes to his shoes. "I'm…18…" But as Michaela continued to stare at him, egging him for the truth, he finally gave in. "…Fine, I'm 16…but I can't put us into some orphanage where we'll most likely be split up…we've got to stick together…"

Michaela's heart broke for the poor boy, who had been through so much; and she moved her arm around Matthew's shoulder to comfort and console him. "Oh, it's ok…we'll figure it out…" Michaela glanced up at Sully, who had kept his distance through the entire meeting. She knew that they had there hands full with the Cheyenne epidemic and David's recent appearance, but Michaela just couldn't bear to leave these poor children who had lost everything they ever had. "…We'll figure it out…"

Sighing heavily, she pulled herself away from Matthew and looked down at the young boy standing next to him. "And this…this must be Brian." The fair-haired boy nodded, while Michaela knelt down, glancing up at Matthew. "Do you know his condition or his illness?"

Matthew nodded slightly. "We're pretty sure it's strep throat…but we aren't positive…"

Michaela, however, nodded in agreement as she examined Brian's tonsils. "No, I believe you're diagnosis is correct…he just need's an antibiotic…shouldn't be too difficult for me to get…"

"Wait a second…what do you mean? You heard the nurse…" Matthew asked as a look of confusion crossed his face.

Michaela stood up, brushing the dirt off her knees, before looking up at Matthew. "I'll get the medicine for you…I need to get some for these children as well, but…"

"Wait…no, you're gonna be stealing that….no, thanks for your offer, but I can't have ya risking your job for us…" Matthew said as Sully walked forward.

"Michaela…what are ya talking about?" Sully asked. "Matthew here is right; I can't let ya risk losing your job for the Cheyenne's sake…"

Michaela shook her head while she looked up at Sully and then at Matthew. "No…I would rather help you and lose my job, or even my medical license than to sit here and watch countless people be turned away because of their inability to pay. I won't stand for it." Just as Sully was about to come in with a rebuttal, Michaela put her stubborn foot down again. "It's my decision, and it's final."

"But where do you plan on keeping these children or the Cheyenne?" Sully reasoned.

"At our house of course!" A voice sounded from the shadows. Slowly, William walked up from where he had been standing unnoticed by the hospital wall.

"Will?" Michaela breathed.

William sighed as he walked up to Michaela. "I'm sorry Michaela…I…I should have believed you before and I should have been there for you…I just didn't want to believe that David could do such things…but I'm here now. And, from what I can hear, you're gonna need all the help you can get with this excursion."

Michaela smiled at William before turning back towards Matthew. "So will you let me help you?"

Matthew looked between Michaela and his little brother a few times before giving in. "Yeah…but only because I don't want him getting any sicker than he already is…"

Michaela smiled at him, happy that he had come to that conclusion. "Good…I think we should go…we have a lot of planning to do…"

With a nod of agreement cast by the entire group, everyone found their way to various cars and made the journey to Sully and William's cabin.

* * *

"No, no, no, no! Dr. Bernard is going to notice your absence, Michaela!" William shouted for the tenth time.

"Then who is going to look after the children during the day?" Michaela argued back.

"I already said I would" Sully chipped in.

"But you're going to be start building again Sully!" Michaela reasoned.

"I can give up the job if we need to…"

"No, Sully, I'm not going to have you give up your job for this." Michaela said as she shook her head, puzzling over the situation.

"Michaela, aren't you risking the same thing?" Sully answered back, leaving Michaela speechless.

"Why don't we just call Dorothy…I'm sure she would help!" William suggested as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

At William's suggestion, Michaela's eyes went wide and she shook her head immediately. "No…no, no, no, no! We are not calling Dorothy!"

"Why not, Michaela? Are you two in that big of an argument?" Sully questioned.

Michaela rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, it's just…um…it just wouldn't be a good idea…"

"Well, I don't see any harm in asking, so I'm going to call her." William said deliberately.

Michaela's eyes went wide and she quickly tried to get off of her stool to run and grab the phone from William. Unfortunately, Michaela tripped over the stool leg and fell to the ground as William called Dorothy. Hearing the soft beeping of the number being dialed, Michaela remained on the floor and cupped her face in her hands, dreading the outcome of Dorothy's involvement.

"Hello, Dorothy? Hey, this is Will…" William spoke into the phone as Sully crouched next to Michaela to see if she was ok. "Hey listen, I'm here with Sully and Michaela and we're kind of in a mess…we could really use your help..."

Michaela shook her head and brought her knees up towards her chest.

"…Um, no it's nothing to do with him…" William's voice suddenly got quieter. "…Yeah, yeah she knows he's back…I think she's ok…." William whispered into the receiver.

Michaela, however, knew exactly what and who they were talking about, and it honestly did nothing but annoy her.

After a few more incoherent comments from William, he hung up and turned to address Michaela and Sully. "She'll be here in a few minutes…seems your petty argument has been put aside…at least Dorothy has let it go." William said with a challenging smile.

Michaela sighed deeply and looked up at William with the grandest fake-smile she could manage. "Well then, I'm sure we will have a delightful time!" William looked at her for a moment, puzzling over Michaela's odd behavior; before he turned and left to sit in the living room.

Once William was out of earshot, Sully placing a comforting hand on Michaela's back. "Hey, ya want to tell me what's going on with you and Dorothy? I mean, before…you just told me it was because she was surprised over our…our relationship…"

Michaela looked up into Sully's concerned and compassionate gaze. "Sully…there's so much that needs to be said….so much that I have no right to say….you….well, she…Sully, I don't want to put you in this awkward position that I'm in…" Michaela sighed.

Sully shook his head in confusion. "What awkward position?"

Michaela inhaled deeply. "Sully…you really need to talk to Dorothy about a few things…"

Sully smiled slightly. "What do you mean? What things?"

Michaela buried her face into her knees, uncomfortable with the entire subject. "Oh Sully…Dorothy….she cares for you!"

Sully's smile broadened even more. "Well of course she cares about me! We've been friends for almost a decade!"

Michaela shook her head impatiently. "No Sully, I mean she has feelings for you!"

Sully's smile faded slightly as he became more and more confused with the entire situation. "What…what do you mean?"

Michaela suddenly tilted her head back and let out an exasperated sigh. "Sully, Dorothy…she…she loves you!" Michaela's words seemed to bounce off the walls and ricochet across the room.

Sully was completely speechless as he tried to grasp what Michaela had just told him. "Wh…what?"

Michaela shook her head again. "Sully, I'm not the one you need to be talking to about that…she just blurted it all out to me earlier today…but I can tell you that it isn't anything new. Supposedly she loved you before you even met Abigail…"

Sully's head was spinning as he contemplated how to handle the entire situation. "Michaela…I…I had no idea…"

"I don't blame you at all Sully…I just don't know how to handle it…she said she would accept our relationship, but that it would be very challenging for her to do so…"

Sully shook his head. "It's just all so odd…I never even thought about it…I never picked up on it…I feel so stupid, that I should have seen it coming!"

Michaela leaned her head against Sully's shoulder and placed her hand comfortingly on his back. "Don't blame yourself Sully…it's not something that we need to get all caught up in, seeing as we have plenty of other things we can do that in…"

Sully nodded in agreement as he continued to stare off into space. "Our troubles are never going to be small are they?"

Michaela smiled slightly at Sully's comment. "No…but perhaps it will strengthen us…together…" Sully turned as Michaela looked up into his gaze, inviting his lips to meet with hers, and they shared a tender kiss that sent sparks down Michaela's spine. As she felt herself lean into Sully, their moment of romance was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

Michaela and Sully quickly parted and stood as they heard the familiar tones of Dorothy's voice in the entrance hall. This was sure to be an interesting meeting.

* * *

_Oh I hope that was an ok chapter... it's really late and I'm exhasted but I really wanted to get this next chapter out. Please read and review!_


	15. Chapter 15: Tune as Old as Song

**_Chapter 15: Tune as Old as Song_**

"Hello? William? Michaela? Sully? Is anyone there?" Dorothy called into the emptiness.

"Everyone's in here Dorothy!" William's voice reverberated off the walls, as he shouted from his seat in the living room.

Dorothy made her way into the room, pausing briefly when she saw Michaela and Sully sitting close on the couch. Even though her hesitation lasted for but a moment and she instantly sat in the chair next to William with out any notion of uneasiness, both Michaela and Sully noticed her apprehension.

"So would anyone care to inform me on what exactly is going on?" Dorothy looked around at the others surrounding the room.

When no one jumped up to say anything, William took the initiative to speak. "Well, there's no easy way to explain this…but Dorothy, we need your help." William sighed and took inhaled deeply before continuing. "Michaela and Sully went into the hospital today with a few Cheyenne children…" Michaela noted Dorothy cringed slightly, and it caused anger to simmer in the pit of her stomach. "…And to put it simply, the hospital refused to treat them because they do not belong to our nation…"

Dorothy's face softened when she heard this and she cut into William's explanation. "They would turn away children?"

Sully and Michaela nodded, allowing William to continue. "Yes, they turned those children away as well as an orphaned child, because he didn't have any health insurance to cover the costs."

Dorothy drew in a sharp breath when she heard this awful news. "That's simply awful! We have to do something about this!"

"We have every intension of doing so…" Michaela spoke out for the first time since Dorothy's arrival. "…I'm going to treat all of them…"

Dorothy shook her head, confused. "But…how Michaela?"

Michaela nodded. "That's what we were trying to figure out…"

Dorothy shook her head, still slightly confounded by the entire situation. "….I don't see how I can be of any help to the matter…"

Sully decided he would speak up for this one. "Michaela and William will be here when their shifts are over, and Michaela has formed a plan of her own to get the needed supplies and medicine from the hospital. But we need someone to stay with the children during the day…I can help some, but I'm already scheduled to start building two new houses starting January 12th…"

"So you need me to take care of the children during the day?" Dorothy affirmed.

William nodded. "You're the only one of us who doesn't have to report to an office during the day."

Dorothy sat contemplating the situation, while Michaela, William, and Sully fidgeted nervously in their seats. Dorothy was their last hope to have their plan work smoothly.

Taking in a slow breath, Dorothy broke the silence. "Michaela…couldn't you be put into jail if you were ever caught smuggling the supplies?"

Michaela's face dropped completely as she nodded, afraid of what Dorothy would do knowing the risk involved. "Yes…I could go to jail, but that's a risk I'm willing to take…"

Dorothy sat in silence for a few more moments, as the realization of how much these people were risking dawned on her. Then she slowly shook her head up and down. "…Yes….yes I'll do it…"

* * *

Michaela stared at the door before her. Never had such fear gripped her when entering an operation room. However, never before did she have the intention of stealing controlled substances in an operating room either. Taking a deep breath, Michaela closed her eyes in silent prayer and entered the busy room. 

"Quinn! Hurry, I need your help!" Dr. Ramón called across the room when he saw Michaela enter.

Quickly putting all other thoughts and concerns out of her mind, Michaela transitioned her focus into doctor-mode, and hurried to her position by the operating table.

The next hours were filled with long and tedious work that caused the entire room to be filled with a tense atmosphere. Michaela, considering all the intense pressures she faced, kept reasonably calm through out the entire surgery.

"Ok people, let's clean up." Dr. Ramón's voice sounded through the operation room some time later. Michaela made a point to be leisurely about her exit, and she soon found herself to be the only one remaining in the room. After peeking out the door to make sure no one was coming back, Michaela turned towards the cabinet holding the various medicines and supplies.

Opening the cabinet door vigilantly, Michaela's eyes glazed over all the labels focusing her sight to find the ones in question. Suddenly she spotted them. Glancing around the room, cautiously, Michaela reached up to grab the jars she craved. Grasping the bottles tightly in her hand, Michaela reached with her other hand to close the cabinet. In doing so, one of the bottles nearly slipped from her grasp; but Michaela was able to grip the slick glass and save herself from possible failure. Sighing deeply Michaela turned around, but instantly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wouldn't want one of those to break…would you?" Came his evil, conniving voice.

"What do you want, David?" Michaela breathed.

David smiled slightly and began to walk towards Michaela. "…Nothing….nothing…"

"Then what are you doing here?" Michaela asked a bit louder, as he continued to stroll casually towards her.

"I could ask you the same question…" His smile broadened as she gabbed at him, too afraid to remember the lie she had planned so meticulously. "…But, I wont…no, instead I want to know the truth…"

Michaela's eyebrows frowned with confusion and she felt herself completely cornered between the wall, the cupboard, and David who was no more than five feet away now. "Th…the truth?"

David smiled even wider when he heard her voice crack. "Yes, the truth…I know you didn't mean what you said last week…I know you just said those things because that mountain man has manipulated you into thinking that you don't love me….isn't that right?"

Michaela could now feel his putrid breath smacking her face as she trembled under his intimidating gaze. "…I…" Michaela couldn't even think straight; as fear smothered her and her knees began to buckle. She wanted to scream, to run…but she as cornered physically and emotionally. There was no escape…

She felt his hands on her waist, forcefully holding her there, not letting go. Her world was spinning, swirling, spiraling until she couldn't make out whether his sickening touch was real or merely her mind playing tricks on her. Whether imaginary or true, she felt those cunning fingers slowly creep up her waist and brush against the side of her breast.

Michaela shook violently and suddenly awoke from the spell that had been cast upon her. She knew the touch was real. Feeling the coolness of the glass bottles against her palms, Michaela brought her arms up swiftly and used all her strength to thrust David away. "NO!"

Surprised by her quick and spontaneous actions, David was easily pushed back. Before he had an opportunity to react, Michaela dashed from her cornered position and rushed out of the room and down the hall, not looking back.

Heads turned as she pushed her way through the halls; tears cascading down her distressed face. Michaela found that, just as before, she had no idea where she was going; she just kept running. She had to get away.

There was light ahead…An exit…

Michaela ran towards the light and through the door, finding herself outside as the sun beamed down on her tear-streaked face.

Hollowness consumed her body and soul. She couldn't believe what had almost happened…again…

Michaela brought her hands up to cup her face, but found that they were already full. In both hands lay the medicine that she had been so adamant about getting. Her plan had been so thorough, so meticulous; yet, she had never even planned on David showing up. "How could I?" Michaela whimpered to herself. "It wasn't supposed to happen again…it was supposed to be over!"

Tears traveled, unchecked, down her cheeks as she gazed across the silent lot surrounding her. "Why did is this happening to me?" Michaela cried out to the heavens. When she received no reply, Michaela sighed heavily and glanced back towards the door from whence she came.

Just as she began to turn away again, the door opened on its own accord causing Michaela to nearly dash off again. However, she caught a glimpse of the man's face, and Michaela let out a sigh of relief.

"God Michaela, you sure ran out of there like a bat out of hell…" William joked, catching his breath before he noticed the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. "…Michaela what happened? Did someone catch you?" When Michaela did nothing but shrug, William tried again. "Michaela?"

This time, Michaela spoke in a breath that barely qualified as a whisper. "He came at me again…"

William was speechless. "What…who…not David?" But he could tell by the shiver that ran through Michaela's body at the sound of his name that is was indeed David. "Come on…I'll drive you…"

No more words were exchanged as no more words were needed.

* * *

"When's Dr. Mike gonna be home?" The fair-hair child asked sincerely. 

Sully smiled at the young girl, who had asked the same questions at least four times in the past half hour. "Like I told ya before, Colleen…she'll be home in a few hours, and she'll have the medicine all ready for your little brother!"

Colleen frowned slightly when she heard she was going to have to wait a while longer for her dearest friend to come home, but she quickly brightened up when she thought of another topic to discuss with Sully. "You know what? I think Dr. Mike likes you a lot!"

Sully shook his head and chuckled silently I himself as he spread jam on a slice of bread. "Ya do, do ya?"

Colleen smiled and nodded. "Yep! And ya know what else? I think you like her too!"

_This girl certainly is something!_ Sully thought to himself. "Well I'd tend to agree with ya there!"

Colleen's eyes widen to the size of quarters. "Ooh…so you two are gonna get married and we can all be one big family?"

Sully nearly gagged, and Matthew's voice sounded from the back room. "COLLEEN!"

"It's ok Matthew…I don't know what's gonna happen Colleen…but for now, why don't ya just eat your sandwich, ok?" Colleen nodded, as Sully handed her the sandwich he made.

While Dorothy looked after the children, Sully began to clean up the kitchen. Bringing several plates over to the sink, Sully happened to glance out the window in time to see a car roll up into the driveway. He instantly recognized it as William's car, and his heart raced as he feared that something had gone wrong with their plan.

Rushing to the front door, Sully swung it open and walked out onto the porch. Stepping out into the sun light, Sully stopped dead in his tracks when he looked upon a distraught Michaela exiting the car. His heart froze when he saw her eyes watering and the red streaks on her cheeks left behind from previous tears. Sully's immobilization lasted for only a few moments, before he ran to his love's side; fear heavy in his heart.

* * *

_Well, I wasn't exactly planning on having that happen...but it just kind of came out that way...oh I hope it was ok! Please R&R! Thanks! _

_-Penny-_


	16. Chapter 16: Neither One's Prepared

**_Chapter 16: Neither One's Prepared_**

She stood before him; her sad, scared eyes piercing his heart. Sully reached out to her, but Michaela flinched and stepped back towards the vehicle. His anxiety and distress for her now mounted. "Michaela?"

But silence was all the response that Sully would receive from her. Silence and the gaze of fear and devastation that glazed Michaela's eyes.

Taking another step towards her, Sully attempted once more to talk to Michaela. "Michaela? What happened…?" But he was cut off by Michaela's voice; a voice that shattered his heart with it's diminishing quality, so contrasting to her usual one.

"It's nothing Sully…nothing happened…" Her tone was cold and concealing, much like the look in her mahogany and olive eyes.

Michaela's words bit his heart as the frigid air nipped at his face. Her attempts to denounce the obvious shocked Sully; furthermore it crushed him to know that Michaela refused to tell him what had bothered her to tears. "Michaela…what…?" However, Sully's words were lost once again to an interruption by Michaela.

"Nothing happened, Sully!" Michaela found herself shouting, more to herself than anyone. Breathing heavily, while trying to recompose herself, Michaela broke eye-contact with Sully, and gazed down at the glass bottles, which had never left her tight grasp. "…Please, excuse me…I need to tend to the children…" But her voice was lost to a decrescendo leading itself to a far off pianissimo, as Michaela walked away from Sully's arms which meant to grasp her.

Secretly, Michaela had sensed Sully's welcoming arms which attempted to greet and comfort her; but she refused them, and continued her journey to the front door. As much as she hated herself for it, Michaela felt that she couldn't let anyone, especially Sully, see her so distraught. Her childhood habit of always being strong had diminished when her father died the previous year, but now that feeling of need for redemption and concealment seemed to reinstate itself in Michaela's mind.

* * *

Sully stared after his love, as she turned from him and walked through the front door, closing the door behind her…closing the door to him.

A million thoughts and emotions played in his gut. While his thoughts tangled inside of him, Sully jumped from his reverie when he heard the loud clamp of a car door closing shut. In all the confusion, he had failed to realize that William was still in the car, waiting for the best time to exit.

Sully glanced at William, a helpless and annoyed look sketched across his face. "Will…do you…did she tell you…?" But Sully couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He realized that the answer would only cause him more misery. For while he understood that Michaela had know William for far longer than himself, Sully couldn't bring himself to think that after all they had been through, that Michaela would refuse to come to him and instead confide her troubles to William.

Unfortunately, William missed Sully's apprehension to know. "Look Sully…I was kind of, well…I was able to get to her right afterwards and…"

"What do you mean 'get to her'?"

"William sighed. "Well, she was running out of the hospital, but…"

"Running? Why was she running? Did someone catch her?" Sully interjected.

"No…well, I mean yes…but that's not why she was running…" William attempted to explain, while trying to keep Sully from acting on impulse or rashly.

"Well, why did she run?" Sully demanded.

William hesitated to respond. "…Sully…she…well, he…" William let out a breath he had been holding, unknowingly, as he tried to calm himself. "Sully…look, you need to talk to Michaela…I hardly know…"

"Well, Michaela won't speak to me right now…" Sully interrupted agitatedly.

"Maybe she's afraid you'll act irrationally…" William suggested.

Suddenly, Sully's suspicions grew clearer. "Why would I act irrationally, William? What could have happened to cause me to be rash?"

William froze; this was not where he had hoped that comment would lead him to. "Uh…well…"

"William, why would I want to act irrationally?" Sully repeated as anger began to bite the syllables of his diction. When William failed to answer again, Sully decided to try one of his predictions. "William…did someone meet or come up to Michaela?"

"…Now Sully…"

"Answer the question, William!" The anger becoming increasingly prevalent in Sully's voice.

"Well, yes…but you really…"

"Did he hurt her?" His voice shaking with bitterness.

"They…well…yes, but I…" William tacked up towards the car as Sully advanced towards him slowly.

"Who was it, William?" Sully's tone full of menace.

"Sully…" William quivered.

"WHO WAS IT?" Sully bellowed, shattering William's courage.

* * *

Michaela leaned against the solid oak, feeling the warmth from the distant fire smothering her form. Closing her eyes, she tried to control the emotions that threatened to break from her fortitude. Part of her yearned to break free, run to Sully's outstretched arms, and cry out her fears and pains. But all that Michaela could think about was how weak and submissive she was becoming.

Before her father had died, Michaela felt unstoppable and on top of the world. But then that day of fate and woe came, and Michaela lost the only person, up until that time, that had fully supported her in what she loved to do. Since then, Michaela felt her spirit weakening gradually with each new conflict that came her way.

Seeing what she was slowly becoming, Michaela refused to allow this dampening to continue. "I need to be strong…I should forget…" She sighed, bringing her hands up to massage her temples.

Suddenly, Michaela felt the uncanny sensation of an unidentified object, creeping up her leg. Initially swatting at it, Michaela quickly realized that it was merely Colleen, who was waiting patiently for Michaela's attention.

For the first time that day, Michaela found her face forming a smile that reached her eyes, while she scooped the young child into her arms. "And how have you been, Miss Colleen?" Michaela grinned as she lightly tickled the fair-haired child.

Colleen burst into a fit of contagious giggles, which lit up the formerly gloomy room. Allowing Colleen to relax from her laughing-fit, Michaela carried her into the kitchen, where Dorothy sat with the other children.

"Oh, Michaela! You're home early…is everything alright?" Dorothy leapt to her feet when she saw Michaela enter the room.

Michaela hesitated initially, but pushed herself onward. "Yes…everything's fine…I got the medicine, here…" Michaela pulled from her jeans pocket the small bottles.

Dorothy looked at them with doubt filled eyes. "Will that be enough for all of them?"

Michaela nodded with the utmost certainty. "Oh yes, there should be plenty…" Michaela's voice trailed off as she gazed out the window, distracted by the sight.

"Michaela?" Dorothy's voice echoed softly into Michaela's ear, but was never fully registered.

Michaela continued to watch the scene outside unfold, seeing William and Sully in an obviously intense conversation. She watched as Sully's body gradually became more and more rigid, while William's form seemed to grow weaker and weaker. Then, at what appeared to be the climax of the conversation, Michaela watched William's lips move in silence to form a name. "_David…" _

"Michaela! What is wrong?" Dorothy repeated to a seemingly deaf Michaela.

But Michaela remained silent, as she saw Sully's head turn towards the window, glancing at her with revengeful eyes, before he rotated back towards William, pushing him from the car and getting into the driver's seat.

"I need you keys" Michaela whispered in a hush.

"What?" Dorothy asked perplexingly.

"Your car keys…I need them now!" Michaela said more forcefully, lowering Colleen gently to her feet.

Completely confused, Dorothy retrieved her keys from her pants pocket hesitantly. "Ok, but why do you need…"

However, once Michaela caught sight of the shining keys, she grabbed them from Dorothy and rushed to the door, before Dorothy could finish her inquiry.

Slamming the front door behind her, Michaela dashed from the porch to where Sully had been only moments before. Unfortunately, she found only the tracks from the tires, left in the glistening snow.

"Why didn't you talk to him?"

Michaela jumped at the voice behind her, finding it to only be William. "Will…where did he go?" Michaela asked breathlessly.

"Where do you think he went Michaela? I mean, if you were afraid that he would try to kill David for it…" William said with annoyance.

"I'm not going to talk about this…now; did he say where he was going to go?" She said with more urgency.

William shook his head. "No…he just pushed me away from the car and left without a word…I imagine he'll try the hospital first, but…hey where are you going?" He shouted after Michaela, who had since sprinted towards Dorothy's car.

"Oh, no ya don't!" William ran in the path Michaela had taken, but failed to catch up before she had started-up the car and began to back down the driveway. "Michaela! Michaela, no don't…go…" William shouted after her. But his words were lost to the echoes of the mountains, as he watched Michaela drive off after Sully.

* * *

He gripped the wheel with shaking hands as anger tormented his entire being. _How dare he lay a hand on her…not once but twice…_Sully raged inside his head. _I should have gotten him for it the first time; I shouldn't have promised Michaela…_Sully beat himself up for his failure to take action sooner. "Well, we won't have that problem this time…" Sully thought out-loud as he pulled up to the hospital entrance.

His entrance into the hospital was a blur to Sully, as anger and an abnormal need fro revenge distorted his vision and memory. Somehow, Sully managed to find himself at the front desk, where a nurse sat waiting for him to respond. "Sir?"

Sully halted his search for David and stared at the young nurse with urgent eyes, "What?"

"…Can I help you?" The nurse repeated.

Sully nodded jerkily. "Ya, um…is Dr. David Lewis in?"

"Oh, you heard about his return…well, I'm afraid you just missed him, he left about thirty minutes ago." The nurse said politely.

Sully sighed in frustration. "You wouldn't happen to know where he went, would ya?"

The nurse bit her lower lip for a moment, hesitant about giving out such information. "Well, since you seem to be so adamant about seeing him…I know he used to go down to The Hilliard Club near Sawmill after work…but I'm not sure…hey wait!" But Sully had already dashed from the waiting room and was bounding back to his car…with a new destination.

* * *

Michaela feared for the worse as she ran into the waiting room of the hospital. Seeing that no destruction had occurred thus far, she let out a breath of relief.

"Michaela! Where have ya been?" A familiar voice rang out.

Michaela turned towards the direction that her name had been uttered. "Oh, Miriam…" Michaela exclaimed to the young nurse walking towards her. "…I don't have time to talk, but have you seen a man, about twenty-five years old with shoulder-length hair…"

"Oh him…the friend of David's…yeah, he came in about five minutes ago, I sent him to the Hilliard Club where David used to hang with the rest of the interns." Miriam shrugged.

Michaela's face paled. "Oh…oh ok, thanks Miriam…" Michaela turned on her heals and dashed out the hospital door.

"Hey wait! What is with everyone today?" Miriam shook her head puzzling, before she headed back to her desk.

* * *

Sully walked into the dark, empty club, where neon lights ranged the ceiling and walls.

"What can I get for ya?" The sauntering voice of the barkeeper sounded from afar.

"Nothing…I'm lookin' for someone…" Sully spoke bitterly, as his eyes searched the room.

"This someone got a name?" The long-haired bartender questioned.

"Yeah, Lewis…David Lewis…"

"Someone called?" Came the conniving voice from across the room.

Sully's eyes locked with David's, before he began to advance on his prey. The bartender, who had sensed the formation of a fight, stepped between Sully and David, pushing them apart. "Hey! If that's what you're here to do, then I suggest ya take it out back!"

"With pleasure, Hank." David's voice echoed tauntingly towards Sully, as David walked to the side exit and strolled through the door into outside's twilight, with Sully at his heals.

Without any exchange of words, Sully threw a punch at David, who dodged. "Well isn't that a way to greet an old pal!"

"You tried to hurt her again…" Sully circled with David in the small alleyway.

"Oh well, I wouldn't put it that way…I was merely trying to let her see how she truly felt about me…remove herself from the lies you've stored in her head." David taunted as he just barely dodged another punch from Sully.

"You're the one who's telling lies David…most of them to yourself…"

"Well isn't that interesting…on second thought, why don't we let Michaela, here, decide who's telling the truth…" David nodded towards the end alley.

Sully turned toward the direction David had indicated. There, he saw Michaela staring at him with fear grazing her face. Her eyes flicked to his side and Sully could hear her gasp into the night. Out of the corner of his eye, Sully saw the flash of metal before he felt a blade tear into his side.

_**A distant scream; quickened footsteps; her soft hand on his cold, pale cheek; the soft whisper of "Ilove you";**_

_**...then darkness…**_

* * *

_Well, that was an adventure...oh, I hope this is ok! Thank you to all who have reviewed or left notes at my blog! As always, please continue to review! Thanks again! _

_Penny_


	17. Chapter 17: A Change in the Tides

**_Chapter 17: A Change in the Tides_** (Yes, I do know this isn't from the song, but I ran out of lines to use!)

"NO!" She screamed into the silence of the night, her voice reverberating back to her in taunting echoes. Immobilized by fear, Michaela watched as Sully slumped over the deadly blade and fell onto the wet pavement. "No, no! SULLY!" Michaela called out again, as her legs thawed enough for her to rush to his side, cradling his head in her lap.

"Sully…Sully, please answer me!" She cried to him. When her screams continued to go unrequited, Michaela's eyes grazed his body, searching for the injury. Even in the darkness of the night, the glistening of the blood soaking his shirt contrasted greatly, causing Michaela to gasp at the sight of it all. "Oh Sully, no…stay with me…please, oh God…I love you…"

But her pleads were only met with an evil silence that wrung at Michaela's heart. Anger and bitterness was soon replacing her fear, and Michaela glanced over her shoulder, hoping to thrash out at David; but instead found little more than a brick wall and darkness. David had managed to silently slip into the shadows. "He got away…" Michaela whispered venomously to herself.

Calming her anger, Michaela looked back down at Sully. All her years of medical training seemed to slip out of her grasp as she sat on the cold pavement, still holding Sully's head gently in her lap. _The blood…all the blood...why wont it stop! That's it…I have to stop it….how…how do I stop it?_

Michaela looked from her trembling hands to the lesion in Sully's side, the pressure mounting as his blood continued to ooze from the abrasion. "Pressure….pressure that's it!" Michaela exclaimed as she quickly took of her coat and placed it under Sully's head, while she maneuvered her way to hi injured side.

Quickly, ripping a piece of fabric from her coat, Michaela applied it to the wound. Placing her hands over the cloth she held it firmly against his injury, praying for the bleeding to stop.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks and onto the ground, mixing with the melted snow. Glancing around at the abandoned alley way, Michaela found herself feeling so alone and helpless. "Help me….please, God help me!" She whispered to the heavens. Taking in a deeper breath, Michaela called out louder. "Help me….anyone! Please, help me!" But echoes of her pleading calls were the only reply.

"Oh, God, this is all my fault…Sully…no, no, no, no!" Michaela sobbed as she sulked over Sully's fading body.

Then, Michaela heard a small voice behind her, like the coo of a dove. "Excuse me?"

Whipping around, Michaela found a skimpily dressed young woman, with ginger hair flowing down to just below her shoulder, standing worriedly at the side door of the club. "I need help!" Michaela whispered, as relief washed over her.

"My God, what happened" The woman gasped as she kneeled next to Michaela.

"He was stabbed….I need to get him to the hospital, but I have to stop the bleeding first…" Michaela said in on rushed breath.

"Ok, what can I do?"

Michaela's brain worked at a hundred miles per second as she contemplated what would be best to do. "Normally we shouldn't move him…but it's not good for him to be laying here in the cold…is there somewhere inside where we can lay him?"

The young woman blushed slightly. "Well, yeah there's plenty of places..."

Michaela didn't pick up on the woman's hesitation. "Good, can you go get help to move him?" The young woman nodded and turned to leave, before Michaela placed a hand on her arm. "Hurry…"

The woman nodded and rushed into the establishment to get help, leaving Michaela alone once again. "Oh Sully…I'm so sorry….I'm so, so sorry…" Michaela whispered to him, as she continued to apply pressure to the wound.

The noise of bickering sounded from behind the door and Michaela turned again, as the door opened revealing a long-haired bartender arguing with the young woman.

"Myra, what do ya…" But the man stopped in his tracks and grew mute at the sight of Sully lying unconscious next to Michaela. "What the hell happened?"

"Sir, he was stabbed. I have to take him inside to give him more medical attention, and I need to call 911 to get help…" Michaela tried to explain hurriedly.

"Hold your horses woman…I can't have you takin' a stabbed man inta my establishment and then callin' the cops…" The man argued.

"Hank…" The young woman moaned.

"Shut-up, Myra! I ain't…" Hank cut Myra off.

"Then will you at least help me get him into my car, so I can take him to the hospital?" Michaela interrupted.

Hank eyed Michaela and then Sully, before giving in. "Fine! But you better not tell no one that I was any part of it!"

Michaela agreed and stood up to get out of Hank's way. "Please be gentle, I only just got the bleeding to subside." Michaela alerted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…I'll be careful." Hank muttered as he lifted Sully and walked out of the alley.

Michaela turned back to Myra and silently whispered her thanks. Myra smiled and nodded but was interrupted before she could say anything.

"Hey, ya gonna show me where your car is or not?" Hank's voice echoed into the alley.

Michaela sighed and picked up her coat from the wet ground before she ran to catch up with Hank.

Opening the back door, Michaela turned to Hank. "Just lay him in the back…" Hank did as she requested, carefully laying Sully's slack body across the back seat of the jeep. "Thank you…"

"Sure" Hank muttered as he turned to leave.

Michaela ran to the driver's seat and was about jump in when Hank's voice stopped her. "Hope your friend there is ok."

Michaela smiled slightly and nodded her appreciation. "Thanks, me too…" With that, Hank walked away and Michaela threw herself into the car, and started it up.

* * *

Her hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel and her head made the occasional backward glances at Sully. Fear gripped her soul and caused the lump in her throat to choke her periodically. The last time she had been to the hospital with this much fear and worry nagging at her, had been when her father past away. With such memories filling her mind, Michaela drove into the ER lot, parked the car and dashed from her seat to get to Sully. 

"Help! Help me!" Michaela cried out for help.

"Michaela?" Came a familiar voice from far off.

Michaela turned from the car to find William and Dorothy running towards her. "William! Go get a stretcher! Sully's hurt!"

Michaela heard Dorothy gasp behind her and William rush off to get what she had requested.

"Oh my God, Michaela! What happened?" Dorothy cried when she saw Sully's limp body in the back seat.

Michaela merely shook her head, too distraught and shaky to explain anything at the moment.

Suddenly, they heard the clattering of the stretcher being run across the parking lot towards them. William, with the aid of several doctors pushed the stretcher up to the car and brought Sully onto it. Michaela ran along side them as they brought Sully into the hospital.

Rushing through the waiting room, Michaela glanced down at Sully, just in time to see his eyes flicker open. "Michaela…" he breathed.

"Sully…Sully I'm here, I'm not leaving you…" But just as the words left her lips, Michaela felt someone grab her arm from behind, not allowing her to continue with the other doctors into the emergency room. "No, Sully…"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you're not allowed in…" The waiting room attendant informed Michaela.

"No, I'm a doctor, I work here…let me go!" Michaela fought to get away.

"I'm sorry Dr…."

"Quinn….Michaela Quinn, now let me go help!"

"I can't let you do that, we need you to answer some questions about the accident now…bedsides, my records say that you're only an intern, so I can't let you go in there anyways." The attendant went on to say.

"Come on Michaela…why don't you sit down?" William suggested.

Michaela continued to stare at the swinging doors Sully had just passed through, her heart yearning to be with him and hold his hand. Breathing heavily, Michaela nodded slightly and allowed William to lead her into a small room just outside of the waiting room. There she sat with a heavy heart, as guilt and torment continued to nag at her.

* * *

As the time went on, various people came in to question Michaela on the night's various events. Speaking in a monotone voice, Michaela told them how David had tried to force himself on her, how Sully had left to seek out David when he discovered what happened, how she arrived at the scene and watched as David stabbed Sully in the back when he glanced over at her. 

Hours passed and Michaela felt as if she sat there for an eternity waiting for news of Sully's condition. About three hours after they had arrived, the door opened as a young nurse walked into the room. Michaela lifted her head for the first time in hours and stared into the nurse's sad eyes, dreading the news.

"Dr. Quinn…um, we've assessed Mr. Sully's condition, and…"

"Yes?" Michaela pushed.

"The blade…it didn't hit any organs…" The nurse stuttered.

"But…?" Michaela continued to push, unwillingly.

"We're not sure, but it may have damaged the spinal cord…he may be…"

"Paralyzed…" Michaela finished the sentence.

The nurse nodded. "We won't know until he wakes up…"

"Will he?" Michaela questioned.

The nurse didn't even need to question what she was asking about. "He's lost a lot of blood…but he seems strong. He'll have to fight."

Michaela nodded, knowingly. "May I see him now?"

The nurse nodded.

* * *

Michaela's heart stopped when she saw Sully lying on the hospital bed. Never had she anticipated on ever having to see him in such a condition. And it was killing her to see him in such a way. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Michaela held Sully's hand, silently begging for him to wake. Tears that had hours ago dried up, renewed themselves in her contrasting-colored eyes. 

"I'm sorry Sully…this is all my fault…if I hadn't…" Michaela made to hide her tears, as she heard the door behind her open.

"I'm sorry Quinn, but I need to see you immediately…" Dr. Bernard said sternly as he waited at the door.

Michaela nodded, and after a quick glance back at Sully's lifeless form, she parted her hand from his and accompanied Dr. Bernard outside.

"I'm sorry to put this on you with everything that's happened, but there's something I think you should know. "Dr. Bernard spoke quietly as they stood just outside Sully's room.

"Yes?" Michaela said flatly.

"It has come to our attention that earlier today, several medicines seemed to disappear from our stock." Michaela felt her heart beat quicken and her face begin to pale before a blush took to her cheeks. "Normally, this would be looked over and forgotten as a simple miscalculation; however, one of the drugs happens to be morphine."

Michaela felt one side of her nerves relax while a new bout of anxiousness swept over her. "Morphine?"

Dr. Bernard nodded. "It's missing from the room you operated in earlier today…do you know anything about this?"

Michaela shook her head, trying to piece together the mismatched information. Spontaneously, every clicked in Michaela's mind. "Oh no….morphine…that explains everything…"

* * *

Well, there goes all of my previous plans. I hope this was an acceptable chapter; it has probably been one of the more difficult one for me to write (why? I have no idea). I just hope that doesn't show through in my writing. Thank you for your previous reviews! I deeply appreciated your input! 

Penny


	18. Chapter 18: Great Expectations

**_Chapter 18: Great Expectations_**

"Of course…" Michaela breathed, as thoughts and memories swirled and crashed into each other; making everything so confusing, yet oh so clear.

"What…what is it Quinn?" Dr. Bernard asked when he saw the spark in Michaela's eyes signaling a realization.

Michaela did not answer right away, her brain working in a blur to piece together this new information. "Jacob…he didn't….oh, David I can't believe you!" Michaela whispered with gritted teeth.

"Jacob? Quinn, you better tell me what's going on this minute, or…" Dr. Bernard began sternly.

Michaela turned to him, as if she was suddenly aware of his presence. "Jacob, he was David and William's other roommate in medical school…" Michaela fidgeted with her hands as she tried to recall all the details. "…We…we had been having problems with particular medications disappearing, morphine was one of them…"

"Ok, well who's this Jacob fellow, and how is this relevant…" Dr. Bernard pushed, a bit annoyed at still being left in the dark.

"After an intensive investigation, including some searches through the student's dorms, they found a few empty bottles of morphine in David, William and Jacob's room…now, William and David came from very wealthy, very respectable families…Jacob on the other hand, got into Harvard completely on scholarships and constant working…he was truly brilliant… but I will admit he was a little strange as well…" Michaela said while reminiscing on memories.

Her unfocused train of thought was quickly broken when Dr. Bernard cleared his throat. "Sorry, anyways…when the bottles were discovered, David and William quickly denied any affiliation with the morphine. This left Jacob, who did not confirm or deny stealing the morphine. No, instead he merely said 'If you had even looked at my background, you would not be asking me such a question.' That was it…that was all he would ever say, and the police and school board took it as a confession…they only looked at his family's history…" Michaela trailed off in deep thought.

"What's your point Quinn?" Dr. Bernard asked irritably.

Michaela collected all of her thoughts, sure of her conclusion. "This incident occurred during our third year of medical school…for a while there were no more reported burglaries; but now that I think about it, just before graduation, they noticed a similar scenario occurring. Where multiple containers of morphine seemed to disappear…the investigations were occurring just as we left to come here…" Michaela recalled.

"And…" Dr. Bernard said, slightly calmer as the realization of the matter slowly became clear to him as well.

"And, I believe…that David was the one all along…he was the one who stole all that morphine…he stole it today…and when Jacob said to 'look at my background' he was referring to how much work he done to get that far…he wouldn't just throw all of that away…"

Dr. Bernard nodded in agreement, but he still had one question. "But, why or when did David start taking morphine?"

Michaela stood puzzled for a moment for the spark came back to her eyes. "The accident…" She breathed.

"What accident?"

That day of torment and fear came back to Michaela, haunting her. "David and I…we…we were in a car accident…years ago…it had to have been our first year in medical school…it was during winter break…I was fine, but David…he'd been driving and…and he nearly lost his leg…" Michaela recalled the awful sight that had haunted her dreams for months in the aftermath of the accident. "There…there was a small old town near by…the police came brought David and I to the only doctor in town…I…I helped administer morphine to David while the doctor operated on his leg…he must have become addicted unbeknownst to anyone else…" Michaela trailed off as guilt and shame for playing such a large part in the whole disaster sank in.

Dr. Bernard nodded. "So now all we have to do is find a crazy man in a city with a population exceeding 550,000…what a mess…" Dr. Bernard sighed exasperatedly.

Michaela remained silent, already saddened with guilt. Dr. Bernard picked up on this and let out a long breath before continuing. "Quinn, what's done is done. There's no point in worrying about it now…besides, it was that doctor's fault for allowing you to administer such a drug…now, all we can do is notify the police of this information…I'll be right back…" Dr. Bernard said firmly before turning and walking swiftly down the hall.

It wasn't until the soft tapping of Dr. Bernard's shoes on the tile floor drifted away into silence that Michaela finally awoke from her reverie. Glancing around the hall, she watched as several groups of doctors and nurses adverted their eyes away from her and tried to cover up the topic of their previous conversation. But it was far too apparent for Michaela to know that they were, or had been, blathering about her.

Feeling a blush bring color to her cheeks, Michaela turned her back to her various colleagues and walked back into Sully's room to get away from the gossiping whispers and curious stares. Closing the door swiftly behind her, Michaela leaned against it momentarily, trying to control the enormous feeling of guilt that had been laid upon her shoulders.

All of this…him attacking me, hurting Sully…it's all my fault! I…I should have questioned the doctor's opinion for a course of action when he said to use morphine… "Why was I so stupid?" Michaela thought out loud, massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers.

Bringing her hands away from her face, Michaela looked at Sully's lifeless from on the hospital bed. Walking over to the bed, Michaela perched herself on the edge and grasped Sully's hand gently. For a while, she sat in silence, fear and turmoil mounting in her gut. "Oh Sully…I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you…if you don't…" But she couldn't bring herself to say the words that she feared the most.

Using her free hand, Michaela brushed the tears that threatened to emerge from her watering orbs. Sully' condition was becoming more and more critical with each passing moment, and Michaela knew that he should have woken up hours ago.

Michaela gently stoked his cheek, but stopped herself almost instantly. Looking up at the screen beside Sully's bed, Michaela puzzled at his unusually low temperature. Curiously, Michaela watched as Sully's chest rose and fell slowly with each breath. Mind racing as her breath quickened, Michaela removed the blanket on Sully's upper body and examined the area of his abrasion.

Searching, searching…one small mark was that she needed to affirm her predictions. And then she found it…

* * *

"DR. BERNARD!" Michaela yelled through the halls of the hospital, pushing past doctors and nurses who blocked her path. "DR. BERNARD!" 

"QUINN! What are you doing making all sorts of ruckus like this?" Dr. Bernard's voice sounded from behind Michaela.

"Oh Dr. Bernard, I just…" Michaela began.

"I don't have time to hear it Quinn, it seems you do have a bit of explaining to do…" Dr. Bernard snapped.

"NO! We don't have time now! I know why he's not waking up….but we need to act quickly!" Michaela explained quickly, as she pulled on Dr. Bernard's arm to follow her.

"What…what do you mean…who…?" Dr. Bernard asked with agitation as he jerked his arm away from Michaela, yet continued to follow her lead down the hall.

"Sully…Mr. Sully…I know why he isn't waking up!" Michaela exclaimed, as a small drop of hope sparkled in her eyes.

Dr. Bernard pursed his lips and stopped dead in the hall. "Quinn, you can tell me of this hair-brained idea on the way to talk to the police…"

"No, Dr. Bernard…" Michaela turned and chased after him. "…we don't have time…"

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to take rash and unlawful actions." Dr. Bernard interrupted.

Michaela's eyes peered with confusion. Rash and unlawful actions… she thought to herself, but quickly adverted her attention back to the emergency at hand. "Dr. Bernard…when Sully was stabbed…I believe David also gave him an injection intravenously of morphine…"

Dr. Bernard stopped dead and turned to look at Michaela. "What made you come to this conclusion?"

Michaela gulped. "I immediately noticed Mr. Sully's abnormal drop in temperature as well as his reduced rate of respiration. Then, to accompany his drop in temperature, I also noticed that his perspiration was quite high, compared to his low temperature…"

Dr. Bernard sighed. "Quinn, you know as well as I do that this could be caused by multiple complications…"

Michaela shook her head and interjected Dr. Bernard's criticism. "I also found small bruise near the cut…the bruise was caused by a roughly injected needle…"

As Michaela trailed off, Dr. Bernard stared far off into space, trying to grasp the situation at hand. Meanwhile, Michaela continued. "It is my belief, therefore, that when Mr. Sully was given a sedative to put him to sleep during the surgery, the sedative may have complicated the already hazardous effects of the morphine. Thus causing Mr. Sully's continuous unconsciousness and perhaps could even result in a coma." Michaela's voice broke as she traveled in and out of her "doctor-mode" and her true emotional state.

Dr. Bernard nodded slowly to himself, as he contemplated what the next course of action should be. "Your data does seem to add up, Quinn…I'll see to it that we treat Mr. Sully immediately for morphine complications and possible over dosage." Michaela nodded with relief and was about to turn back towards the direction of Sully's room, when Dr. Bernard's voice stopped her. "Not so fast Quinn…I told you, I have to take you to the conference room…"

"But…" Michaela said with a puzzled look across her face.

"You've brought this onto yourself Quinn…now, follow me…" Dr. Bernard said with severity.

Michaela found that she was left with no choice but to follow. As they walked swiftly through the hospital corridors, Michaela's thoughts dwelled on Sully and his well-being.

"Mike! Mike!" Michaela was instantly aroused from her state of delirium, when she hear the soft coo of her name being called and felt two gentle hands on her leg.

"Colleen, what are you doing…" Michaela began, but was cut off by a police man standing near by.

"Are Dr. Michaela Quinn?" The officer asked sharply.

"Yes…what's going on…" Michaela asked with hesitation.

The officer reached into the bag swung over his shoulder and pulled out a clear plastic bag, with two bottles of antibiotic in it. "Do these look familiar to you, ma'am?"

Michaela's heart froze as she realized she had been caught. Recovering quickly, Michaela answered the officer's question. "Why yes officer…those are bottles of an antibiotic, I see them everyday here in the hospital…"

The officer huffed at Michaela's smart reply. "Ma'am, this isn't any time to be playing jokes…"

"Oh, of course not, officer!" Michaela said with conviction.

Suddenly a stern voice sounded from behind Michaela. "Officer, may I speak to Miss Quinn alone? I believe she won't act so smart to me." Dr. Bernard said stiffly.

"Not at all, doctor." The officer said with a twinge of relief.

"Quinn…follow me…" Dr. Bernard said sternly.

Michaela was forced to pull away from Colleen and trail behind Dr. Bernard, as she tried to ignore Colleen's cries for her. Turning back briefly she watched as Dorothy, whom Michaela had failed to notice in the corner, took Colleen up in her arms and rocked her gently. Michaela's heart sunk to an all-time low as she looked upon the pair and saw the terrified look that had taken to Dorothy's face.

Arriving at a door to Dr. Bernard's office, Michaela stepped into the spacious room, remembering immediately the other time she had been there. That say, she had walked into the room with an intense feeling of fear, yet her fears had been washed away almost immediately. This time, unfortunately, Michaela gathered that she would not be blessed with the same luck.

Standing in front of Dr. Bernard's desk, Michaela watched as he made his way to the opposite side of the mahogany table. Silence pursued as Dr. Bernard sat in his chair and flipped angrily through the papers on his desk. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up at Michaela. "So are you going to say anything for yourself or are you just going to allow your punishment to be decided."

Michaela remained silent momentarily. "Dr. Bernard…I was only trying to help…"

However, she was interrupted when Dr. Bernard threw his fist down onto the wood of the desk. "Help….help? What the hell do you mean 'help'?"

"The Cheyenne children and Brian Cooper…I…" Michaela stuttered out, slowly losing her ground to stand up on.

"You wanted to help them…after I specifically told you not to take such rash actions!" Dr. Bernard yelled at Michaela.

"They would die if I didn't…" Michaela whimpered.

"If you didn't what? Steal medicine from a hospital…you know, Quinn, as much as this world needs more people with the same compassion and self-motivation as you do…you've really overstepped the boundaries this time…"

Michaela remained silent as Dr. Bernard dug through his drawers, in search of something. Finally finding it, he brought it out on the desk and stared at it momentarily before handing it to Michaela. "Quinn, that contract poses a deal…if you swear to never to perform such unlawful acts again, you can remain at this hospital with only the punishment of insubordination on your record…"

Michaela gazed over the paper in her trembling hands before she responded. "Is there any other option?"

Dr. Bernard stared at Michaela, completely shocked by such a question. "Excuse me…Quinn, what do you mean?"

Michaela took a deep breath, regaining the ground she had almost lost. "I'm not sure I can make such a promise…it would probably be untruthful."

"Quinn, have you gone mad? Do you not realize the situation…?"

"I understand it perfectly, Dr. Bernard. And I can not give you an oath that I may not be able to keep!"

Dr. Bernard stared blankly at Michaela for a few more moments, before he stood from his chair and paced along the back of the room. Michaela stood in the silence, trembling from nerves and fear, while trying to keep a calm face and form. Finally Dr. Bernard stopped pacing, yet remained facing away from Michaela as he spoke. "Quinn…I had great expectations for you…great expectations…now I don't know what to do with you…" Michaela stared guiltily at her hands as Dr. Bernard continued. "For the past couple months I've been receiving countless requests for an intern or a doctor to be transferred from our hospital to the small clinic in the town of Cripple Creek…you can go there…and continue your internship there…maybe there you'll learn what it truly means to be a doctor…including, not always being able to help others…"

Michaela felt fear and distress smother her body. "But Dr. Bernard…" She began.

"It's either that, or you will have your medical license taken away…which is the only option normally given to interns and doctors who commit such an offense…so what will it be?"

Michaela pondered at her options as realization of what giving up her license would mean. Taking a deep breath, Michaela gave Dr. Bernard the response that would alter the course of her life…

* * *

_Ok I wrote this chapter while I was sick and maintaining a temperature of 101.2F...so if there are parts that are completely confusing or inappropriately written, please tell me so that I can change it when I feel better. I appologize, but I really wanted to post this chapter and get it out of the way...fyi: for those of you who don't know, we are approaching the end of this fan fic! Although I will be leaving the ending slightly open, I am considering a sequel. For more information, please visit my blog! Thanks for reading ( and a reminder that I always appreciate reviews, especially from new people who have yet to write one!)_

_Penny_


	19. Chapter 19: Certain as the Sun

**_Chapter 19: Certain as the Sun_**

Michaela walked down an empty hospital corridor, hearing only the soft tapping of her shoes on the linoleum floor. So many times she'd walked down these same halls, yet now they appeared so strange and new to her…so different and unwelcoming.

Turning the corner, Michaela continued to walk in a daze, neither thinking nor feeling…just walking.

"Michaela" A voice sounded faintly in the background.

Michaela took no notice to the voice, disregarding it as a whim of her imagination.

"Michaela!" The voice sounded more forcefully, but Michaela continued to walk, ignorant of the world around her.

"MICHAELA!" Someone shouted next to her, and Michaela was finally awakened from her reverie, when she felt the gentle touch of a man's hand on her arm. Turning rapidly, Michaela found herself face-to-face with William, who stared at her with eyes full of concern and angst.

"Michaela…I called you…I…"

Michaela shook her head, trying to collect herself. "No…I'm sorry…I'm just….just…"

But William didn't let her finish. "Michaela, did you hear? Sully…he…he…"

Michaela's face paled when William could not seem to say it. "Oh, God….no…" With that, Michaela tore through the hall towards Sully's room.

"No…no, Michaela! Wait!" William called after her. But Michaela was long gone…

Mind racing and heart breaking, Michaela threw herself into Sully's room, fearing the absolute worse…that he would be there.

"Sully!" she screamed as she ran through the door, only to crash into Matthew and Dorothy. With utter surprise, Michaela glanced about the room at the various familiar faces that surround her. But what puzzled her even more, is that none of them seemed to be upset. "What…?"

"Michaela?"

There it was…there was the voice that made her heart sing and leap…there he was…her love…

"Sully?" Michaela breathed as she pushed herself easily through the small bunch of people and kneeled beside the hospital bed.

"Hey, where have you been?" Sully joked.

Michaela gave him a weak smile as she clasped his hand with hers and brought his hand to her mouth to kiss his knuckles. "Oh thank God…"

"I go through Hell and back and that's all the welcome I get?" Sully teased. Michaela gave him a puzzled look, not entirely understanding the meaning of his comment. Instead, Sully sat up spontaneously and kissed Michaela with such fever and passion that it sent her world spinning and caused her to gasp for breath.

Their moment was then interrupted by young Colleen, who looked up at her brother with big brown eyes to whisper loudly. "See, I told ya they was getting married!"

Michaela and Sully pulled apart, eyes beaming with love and amusement.

"So…all's well that ends well..." William chuckled, as he stood at the door before joining the group. Michaela looked over at William, deciding to not say anything just yet.

William, however, mistook Michaela's silence for confusion. "'Cause, let's see…Sully survived…David was caught…"

"What!" Michaela gasped, not aware of this news.

"You mean you didn't hear?" Dorothy asked with surprise.

When Michaela shook her head, William took the initiative to explain. "Well yeah…David…he was the one who told the police that…that you stole the antibiotics…he tried to blame you for also stealing the morphine, but they found no proof of this…"

Michaela nodded, seeing how David had tried to ruin her life once again. Breaking from her dream-like state once again, Michaela heard William's perpetual voice come back into focus.

"…And hey, I don't know what you told old Bernard, but I always said that if any one could beat me in a debate it would be you!"

"What do you mean?" Michaela found herself confused once again.

"Well, you got us all off the hook! Who'd ya blame it on anyways?"

"Blame what on?"

"Stealing the medicine of course!"

Michaela took in a sharp breath, knowing that she would have to tell them sooner or later. "Well…I didn't blame it on somebody else…"

"What do ya mean Michaela?" Sully asked with concern.

Michaela glanced at his face, momentarily, but her nerve failed her and she dropped her gaze to her knees. "I…I tool the blame…"

There was a great hush across the room. "What…they…they didn't arrest you or anything?" Matthew asked.

Michaela merely shook her head. "No…no, Dr. Bernard took things into his own hands…in fact he was very gracious..."

"What he say?" William pushed.

"He…he gave me three options…he said that I could give up my license to practice medicine…" Michaela pushed herself through the sharp gasps she heard from the crowd. "…or I could stay here and make a vow never to steal such medications again…"

"Oh thank God…" Dorothy whispered.

Everyone in the room seemed to agree with Dorothy's comment; everyone, except Sully, who noticed Michaela's continued quietness. "What's the last option Michaela?"

Michaela felt Sully's eyes beating down on her, and she struggled to speak up at first. "Well…the last option…was, that…that I would be sent away to another clinic in Colorado…and I would continue my internship there…"

"Oh But you would never choose such a thing…would you….Michaela?" Dorothy called out to Michaela, who remained silent, remembering her conversation with Dr. Bernard.

"_I suppose I best be packing my bags and calling a taxi to take me to Cripple Creek." Michaela said with as much confidence and strength as she could muster. _

_Dr. Bernard stared at her in utter disbelief. "You…you're doing what?"_

"_I'm going to became a doctor in Cripple Creek, sir…it there a problem with that?" Her voice cracked slightly as she tried to keep the emotions inside of her from bursting out. _

_Dr. Bernard stared at Michaela for a few more moments, before shaking his head in both response to her question and in his own disbelief. "No…not, I just didn't expect you to choose that option…in fact, I thought would be the least preferred of your option…but I suppose I'd best contact the doctor there…"_

_Michaela nodded slowly, as tears threatened to break loose from her eyes. Turning away so that Dr. Bernard would not see the tears, Michaela walked to the door of the office. Looking back once more, Michaela glanced around the office, remembering all her childhood dreams of becoming a famous doctor, who could cure any and every disease with the flick of her wrist…_

"Michaela!"

Michaela snapped out of her reminisce and looked about the room at the curious and anxious faces, all waiting for her response. "I…I…" Taking a deep breath, to prepare her for the plunge, Michaela felt a slight pulse in the hand that still gripped Sully's. Gazing up into his azure-blue orbs, Michaela pushed herself to continue. "I choose to go to Cripple Creek…I'll continue my internship there…"

Immediately Michaela saw the pain in Sully's eyes, and she knew that she had put it there. She was leaving him...

"Oh Michaela, why?" Dorothy called from behind her.

"I couldn't make a promise that I wasn't willing to keep…" Michaela reasoned, never breaking eye contact with Sully.

"But…but…" William stuttered, lost for words for the first time in his life.

"It's already done…Dr. Bernard has already contacted the clinic…they'll expect me in five days." Michaela said softly, breaking her eyes away from Sully's intense gaze and staring at the ground, unable to stand the pain any longer.

"Perhaps there's something we can do…" Matthew said with hope.

"No…no, Matthew…this was my choice…and I intend to see it through…." Michaela spoke softly, while raising herself up to her feet and walking towards the door. "I'd best get packing I suppose…"

With that, Michaela walked from the room, before any more protest could be made.

* * *

Days passed by in a blur. Michaela went through the motions of packing up her things while making arrangements for a place to stay in Cripple Creek. She spent one of her afternoons at the car dealership, buying a used Volvo, realizing she wasn't going to have her friends to rely on.

On the eve before she departed. Michaela sat in the silence of her bare room, staring out the window at the mountain peaks. She hadn't seen anyone since that day at the hospital; Dorothy hadn't been home, William never came by, and Sully, it appeared, was still in the hospital.

"We never even said good-bye" She whispered guiltily into the hush of the night, knowing it was her own fault. Knowing she had hurt him; and in doing so, hurt herself.

Suddenly feeling the need to stretch her legs, Michaela grabbed her jacket and headed out the front door. Jumping initially at the biting cold, Michaela brought her arms tighter around her self as she walked briskly down the road. Staring up into the heavens, memories flooded back to Michaela of nights that had held more joy than this one.

_As she reached the porch steps, she turned and glance back down the mountain side that overlooked Denver. She gazed out into the brightly lit metropolis, and then up into the black, heavenly, abyss to see only the brightness emitted from the hundreds of constellations beaming down onto her face. Even though it was a late summer night, the setting of the sun and the slightly raised elevation had led to a drop in temperature. Rotating back towards the door to her new home, Michaela knocked gently on the door face. Not two seconds later, the door sprang open revealing a petite, red-haired, woman, who was no older than thirty._

"_Oh, you must be Michaela, am I right?" she asked as a wide smile spread on her face._

"_Yes, I am Michaela, and you must be Dorothy, I presume?" Michaela returned the smile._

Michaela smiled to herself, remembering her first night in Colorado…and the days that followed…

"_...Hey, I don't think you have met Michaela yet...Michaela, Sully...Sully, Michaela, or Mike as we all tend to call her...Mike is rooming with Dorothy up at their apartment down the road..." William introduced the pair while setting out the cups of coffee on the counter and grabbing some bags of chips Sully had also picked up for the party._

_Michaela smiled slightly, and extended her hand for Sully to shake it. Sully looked up at Michaela and went to grasp her hand. However, upon coming into contact with it, a static shock passed between them, jolting Michaela a little._

"_Sorry, I must of rubbed my feet a little too hard on the rug..." Sully said smiling._

_Michaela shook her head, also smiling and replied, "No harm done"…_

Michaela's smile broadened as she remembered her first meeting with Sully…and how much changed with in months…

_Michaela hesitated, realizing that Sully wanted her to get up onto the horse with him. "Oh, Sully...I've only ridden English...not even Western...let alone bare-back." _

"_Come on, give me your hand...you'll be fine."_

_Michaela looked up into those crystal-blue eyes that reminded Michaela of the ocean; rough exterior, yet beautiful under the surface, and full of life. Trusting him and knowing that she should know the truth that seemed so important to him, Michaela grasped his outreached hand and allowed him to pull her up to sit behind him._

"_Hold on to my waist..." Sully said over his shoulder, "...and don't let go."_

"_Oh, we won't have to worry about that." Michaela said as they started off at a swift canter_

…

_Michaela started to swing her foot around the back of the horse, but lost her balance and fell right into Sully's ever-ready arms. Sully caught her delicate body before she hit the ground, and sat there for a moment, having not yet understood the awkward positioning that they were in. Michaela looked up into his surprised face and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Sully..."_

…

_Michaela felt weak in his arms, and when he moved she was afraid he was leaving her...instead he readjusted him and herself, so that she could lay down, with her head resting on his chest and him sitting behind her, embracing Michaela protectively with his arms around her shoulders. Sleep beckoned her and she obeyed, praying for the nightmares to be over for the night._

_Sully felt her drawing breaths slower and her body relaxed into his even more. Lying there, with her in his arms felt so right, so comfortable, as though they were meant by some spiritual destiny to be together. _

Her smile was soon replaced with a waterfall of tears which cascaded down her face as she remembered that day on the mountain top…

"_It's just beyond this hill..." Sully responded over his shoulder, and Michaela could hear the excitement and nervousness that was evident in his voice. As they reached the top of their climb, Michaela's anticipation was at an all time high, but nothing could prepare her for the sight that would be bestowed upon her eyes next. _

_Her breath caught as she looked at her surroundings. They stood at the edge of a ridge, looking down into a snow glazed valley. Pines glistened white and sparkled with the light emitted from the constellations, beaming overhead. Mountains ranged in the near background, and small, scintillant, lake could be seen father down the valley. The vision was breathtakingly stunning. Words were lost to Michaela (which for her was a big deal)._

"_I know you've been working real hard at the hospital...puttin' everyone ahead of yourself...you've been through a lot and you've really not taken much time for yourself...I just wanted to bring ya here...I guess I thought it might help ya...I come here sometimes to think..." Sully trailed off. _

_Tears sparkled in Michaela's eyes as she continued to gaze around at the gorgeous site to behold. No one had ever been so kind to her, no one had ever cared to think about how she was feeling. "Oh Sully...it's...it's...I can't even describe it...it's heavenly...thank you, thank you so much...I don't know what to say!" _

_She turned to face Sully, and instead turned into him. Eyes caught and breaths stopped. Michaela's mind told her to back up, but her heart wanted to lean forward. Her heart was racing as she stared into those perfectly-blue oceans of eyes. Michaela's legs were glued to the ground and she could only lean one way or the other. Whether laws of gravity be the cause or destiny itself, Michaela found that it was easier to lean forward. She chose to follow her heart. _

_As she closed her eyes, she felt him lean in at the exact moment she chose to. She could feel his slow, methodical breath on her rosy lips, and she readied her body to plummet. Lips first skimmed lips, then both pressed more firmly together. Electric charges rippled down Michaela's spine as she felt his lips brush gently on hers. Ever so softly, she felt Sully deepen the kiss, slipping his hands to her waist and the back of her neck, while his tongue asked for admittance to her lips. At first, Michaela was at lost for what to do. Never before had she allowed David to kiss her like this; yet she did not find the fear that racked in her heart now as she had with David. Slowly, instincts finally kicked in and Michaela opened up to Sully, revealing a whole new side of the lady doctor._

_It was if a flower had bloomed in all of its glory. A burst of love and joy, erupting over the valley and intensifying the beauty that it already held. _

…

_Sully took a deep breath before the plunge, and stared into her hazel and auburn streaked eyes. "Michaela...I...I love you." _

_Silence ensued as the words echoed in her soul and her heart did a full out flip inside of her chest. Michaela found it hard to breath, as it felt as if something was compressing her chest and lungs. But her soul told her that she needed to speak, she needed to reply to his testimony with her own. Tears swelled and overflowed in her eyes, and a smile broadened on her joyous face. "Sully...I love you too."_

_Testimonies met, as did souls and hearts; and lips came crashing together in celebration of the newly admitted love. Passion consumed both beings, as soul mates found one another. But the kiss was cut short, when Michaela fell back onto the cot, weak from the small exertion she had put out. She smiled slightly at Sully before she closed her eyes and gave in to the parlous sleep that tempted her so._

Michaela stopped in her tracks as her sobs became more traumatic, and she found herself fighting to breathe between each spasm.

_Sully managed to dismount, and turned back towards the herald. "What are you doing Mich–" but he was cut off when Michaela ran into him and wrapped her arms around his neck._

"_Oh Sully!" Michaela exclaimed, pulling back and dropping her arms. "I remember, I remember it all! I remember the valley...and, and the kiss...I remember you walking away...and... remember going after you, but getting lost...I remember waking up again...with you trying to warm me...and, I remember what we said...every word..." Michaela said in barely a whisper. She looked deep into his eyes, seeing the hope begin to grow and over take the confusion and hysteria. Sully appeared as if he wanted to say something, and Michaela knew what he was trying to put into words. "Sully...you needn't explain anything...I understand...what's more is, honestly, I love you all the more... Sully?" Michaela said in concern when she saw a tear escape his water glazed eyes. _

_Sully answered by cupping Michaela's delicate face with his hands and kissing her as she had never been kissed. Sparks flew, as did their hearts and souls. Michaela allowed her arms to clasp around Sully's neck as his arms encircled her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in a burst of joy and relief. "Sully!" shouted gleefully _

_Sully slowed the rotations and allowed Michaela's feet to touch back down to the ground , while never letting her out of his arms. Michaela looked joyfully up into Sully's eyes, seeing all the love of the world that Sully had for her. "I thought was gonna lose ya...Michaela, I was scared...and so confused, I didn't know what to do...I couldn't even bear the thought of losing ya, not after I had just told ya...Michaela I love ya, as true as love can ever be imagined...and I never want to hurt ya, ever again...I know I did that far too many times last night..." _

Michaela sank down into the soft snow which lay over the pavement, as her hot tears melted away small bits of the white ground.

"Why did I do that to you Sully….why didn't I think about how much it would hurt….why did I have to stay true to a stupid principle!" Michaela cried out into the night.

"Because that's what makes ya who you are…"

Michaela leapt to her feet and turned towards the direction that the voice had sounded, finding only darkness and trees. "Who's there? Who are you?" She whimpered into the night.

"Ya honestly need to ask that…" Came the voice again, and Michaela watched as a tall figure emerged from the shadows.

"Sully!" Michaela rushed to her love's arms and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking Sully off his feet. "Oh Sully…I'm so sorry. I just couldn't make that promise…I…I…" But she was cut off as Sully's lips crashed into hers in a feverous kiss that sent sparks tingling through her body.

Suddenly Sully broke the kiss, and cupped Michaela's face gently in his hands. "You made a decision, based on a principal that make you who you are….and that principal is one of the many reasons that I love you…I love you Michaela, with all of my heart…I've never felt this way about anyone…not even…not even Abigail…" Tears fell unchecked down Michaela's face again as she looked up at Sully, love and compassion smothering her body, basking in the feeling of being in her love's arms. "…Which is why…" he reached into his pocket and pulled back from Michaela. "…I know we haven't been together for all that log…but since the moment I looked at you…I felt something here…" He pointed to his heart before going down onto one knee, Michaela gasping with realization. "…Michaela, I don't want to ever loose ya…I want to spend the rest of my life with ya…I can't offer ya much, only my heart and the promise that I'll do everything I can to make ya happy…Michaela, will ya let me come with ya to Cripple Creek…and will ya be my wife?"

Sully's words echoed into the night and Michaela felt herself reducing into a puddle when she saw the shimmer of a gorgeous diamond ring in the palm of Sully's hands…

**The End**

_Oh, you mean you want more…ok let me see what I can do…_

Eyes shimmering with tears of joy and exultation, Michaela grasped Sully's hand and vowed herself to him.

"Yes…yes, Sully…I will!"

And on that mountain, in the outskirts of Denver, Michaela and Sully proclaimed their love to each other in a kiss that would end all kisses…in a love not found by many; but envied by all…For Michaela and Sully were lucky enough to find each other, they were lucky enough to find their soul mate…

_**To Be Continued (in a sequel)**_

* * *

Well...it's over...But you need not worry, I have envery intention of doing a sequel...Thanks so much to all of you who have left me review, I deeply appriciate your help and support.

On to the next story...

Penny


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